The Curse II
by warrior-princess-1311
Summary: It's been a years since Taryn and her friends destroyed the curse. Together, August and Taryn have been searching for his evasive mother, but they are about to face their biggest challenge yet. Join them as they battle their oldest enemies and learn new, shocking secrets along the way. Sequel to The Curse.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

Alright, I know I had passed that tree before. Oh, don't look at me like that. It was pure observation. This particular tree had purple mushrooms ground out of the side of the trunk. It was kind of hard to miss, even in the dark. Wondering what's going on yet? Well join the club. One minute I was at getting ready for bed and the next, I was back inside the stupid curse. Crazy right? My thoughts exactly. And it didn't help at all that I was being chased by one of those stupid monkeys again. The scars under my eye burned from the memory of what happened the last time.

I dove to the side as the monkey took another shot. He missed by a few inches. I let out a breath of relief before jumping back to my feet and bolting in the other direction. The monkey bellowed in anger and then took off after me. I groaned in frustration. He was annoyingly stubborn. As I heard him growing closer again, I changed directions, heading off to my right. I had quickly figured out that those stupid monkeys couldn't change direction very quickly, so I used that to my advantage. I was constantly changing direction, which might be the reason I was always ending up in the same place.

Distantly, I heard a sound I didn't think I would ever hear again. Water. I was getting close to Pirates Bay! A sudden burst of adrenaline coursed through my body. This was my ticket out of here! I could swim, but the monkey couldn't. A force from behind me suddenly pushed forward, sending me sprawling to the ground. I rolled to my back to see the monkey hovering over me, his fangs bared. I'd gotten too distracted and allowed him to catch up! I was so stupid!

I briefly wondered why he hadn't attacked yet. All it would take was one dive and I would be dead. So why hadn't he? My question was answered with a soft 'popping' sound and quiet laughter.

"My, my, Taryn. You really have gotten yourself into quite the pickle this time, haven't you?" Isis' voice sounded from beside me. I tore my eyes away from the monkey to glare at the beautiful woman. Her flawless features seemed to glow in the dark of the forest. "Don't look so happy to see me, Taryn." She mocked. "I've only come to say hello to an old friend."

I scoffed at her. "Friend my butt." I bit back. "Now come here so I can strangle you." I jumped to my feet and Isis backpedaled a few steps. I'm not going to lie, it felt good that she was scared of me. It gave me that extra edge.

"Come now, Taryn. That's no way to treat a person."

"Yeah, well I'm not sure you're even human so, there's that." I shrugged. "Besides, I don't think you qualify for that rule." I took another step forward, making Isis take another step back. "This isn't funny, Isis." I growled, completely forgetting about the monkey behind me. "Why am I here. Why'd you bring me back?"

Isis chuckled. "But if I told you, that would take all the fun out of it!"

"Isis." My voice was low and threatening. I even sensed the monkey behind me retreat a few paces.

"Oh, relax." She huffed. "You're not really here, now are you?" I just looked at her with a blank expression. What in the world was she talking about? "Think about it, Taryn. You can't really be back inside the curse. It was destroyed, remember?" She rolled her eyes. "You really aren't the brightest sometimes, are you?"

"Don't push it." I warned.

Isis just rolled her eyes again. "Whatever. You should have figured this out by now, Taryn. This is just a dream." My eyes widened in disbelief as I stared at her. "You should see your face!" She laughed, the angelic sound seeming to echo throughout the forest. "All you have to do to leave, is wake up." The smile she gave me was smug and completely unpleasant.

"I can't wake up, can I?" I realized.

"Oh, you can wake up. Just not for a few more hours. Have fun with the rest of your time here, Miss Bauer." The last thing I heard was her angelic yet completely deranged laugh, echoing off the trees. As soon as the sound disappeared, the monkey screeched and dove once more.

* * *

I had you scared there for a second, didn't I? I can just hear you now. "I thought the curse was destroyed! What did you do this time, Taryn?" Well, I'll have you know that I have done nothing to mess up this time. I'm completely innocent. That doesn't mean I won't get dragged into something though. I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

So you're back for another round, huh? You just couldn't stay away, could you? Fine, but I'm warning you, it won't be so easy this time. Oh, I have another story to tell alright, but I'm not so sure you can handle it. This one will be so much different from the first. I'm not sure if you're ready for that yet. You are, are you? You sure about that? Fine, don't say I didn't warn you. Strap on your seat-belts boys and girls and hold on tight, cause here we go! This story begins only about a year since the curse was destroyed.

* * *

**Review! Let me know what you think! So happy to be back! Missed you guys. :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I woke in a cold sweat. My breathing was shallow and my bed looked liked a tornado had hit it. The dream was still very vivid in my head. I could still hear the screeching of the monkey as it chased after me. I had been back inside Neverland. The dark wood had been all too familiar. I told myself to calm down and after a moment, I closed my eyes again and tried to relax. It had just been a dream. There was nothing here that could hurt me. Something was off though. I could feel it but I couldn't put my finger on what it was

My eyes shot open as I realized, I wasn't home. After the curse, August, Dixie and I had gotten a small apartment together, just outside of town. This wasn't the apartment. My eyes grew wider as I scanned the room. I knew this place. I was back inside my old room.

I jumped out of bed and ran for the door, tripping on a few books that were scattered on the floor. I threw the door open and peered outside. The halls were just as I remembered them to be. To my right was the staircase leading down to the kitchen and to my left was Colton's old room. I sucked in a deep breath as I tried to calm myself down. There had to be a good explanation for this. Maybe I was still dreaming. Maybe I hadn't really woken up and I was just inside another dream. I held on to that. There was no way this could be reality.

Quietly, I snuck down the hall towards Colton's room. No sounds were coming from the other side, and the door was slightly ajar. I peered inside to find an empty room. The bed was made perfectly and the room seemed to be completely clean. So Colton wasn't here. That was good to know. I let out a sigh of relief before heading for the stairs. My mind was working a million miles a minute, trying to figure out what could possibly be going on. This had Isis written all over it. If this wasn't a dream, Isis had something to do with it. Even if this was a dream, it was probably Isis who planted it in my head. I wouldn't put anything past her..

Downstairs, everything was silent. Absolutely no one was there. It actually looked as if no one had lived there for quite a while. The cupboards were bare and there was a layer of dust covering everything. Making my way into the living room, I found it to be exactly the way I had left it for the last time, right after my fight with Colton. The jar was still lying broken on the floor, the carpet was stained from my blood and the corner of the table was stained as well, from when I had hit my head. Unconsciously, I reached up and rubbed the small lump that was still present on the back of my head. The doctors said I would always bear the scar. Just like the one that resided just under my right eye.

Quietly, I stepped into the living room and knelt next to the broken vase. I picked up a piece of the shattered clay and fingered it, turning it around in my hand. Who would have guessed that something so ordinary would be the key to our escape? It had been right under our noses the entire time and none of us realized it. The vase had been passed down through generations. I had received the vase from my mother right before she had died. My mother had been given the vase from her mother and her mother got it from her mother who . . . you get the idea. It was one of the last remaining pieces of my mother that I had, and now that was destroyed as well. A single tear escaped the corner of my eye and I angrily wiped it away. Now was not the time to get sentimental. I had to figure out what was going on and I had find out fast.

I ran back to my bedroom and rummaged through everything, trying to find my phone which seemed to have disappeared from my pocket. I needed to call August and find out what was going on. He always had something to say. Sometimes his words actually held advice and were helpful, other times, he just drove me insane. Yes, I loved him with my whole heart, but the boy could still drive me up a wall.

I finally found my phone, tucked away in my backpack. As fast as possible, I opened it and scrolled through my contacts only to find that August wasn't in there. I searched for Dixie next but she wasn't there either. I frowned in confusion but went to go dial in August's number manually. Thankfully I had it memorized. I waited impatiently as it dialed, only to be greeted by an automated voice telling me that the number was not connected..

"What?" I asked aloud. Fear was starting to sink in now. What was going on? I went through my contacts again, hoping I had accidentally just missed them and their numbers really were in my phone. Nothing. I stopped short though when my eyes landed on a name I knew only too well. Okay, I know I didn't put her in my phone. Isis' name sat at the very end of my contacts list. When I clicked on her name, it immediately started dialing. Hesitantly, I put the phone to my ear and waited for her pick up..

"Hello?" Isis' silky voice carried through the receiver.

I almost didn't answer her. What was I going to say? Should I demand that she put everything back the way it was? I wasn't even sure if this was real yet,, let alone if she had done it. Then again, who else would be capable of doing something like this? I cleared my throat and put on a mask, hiding any and all fear that I felt. "Isis, I have a bone to pick with you." I spoke sternly.

"Who is this?" Isis asked. She actually sounded pretty confused. If I didn't know better, I would have said that she didn't know what was going on.

"You know who this is, Isis. Don't play games with me." I bit back

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Isis asked again. She genuinely sounded like she didn't know

I hesitated before asking, "You seriously don't know?

"Should I?" She actually sounded like a normal human being when she didn't know that she was talking to me. Her voice didn't have that edge to it that usually made her sound like an evil maniac.

"This is Taryn Bauer. You know, the girl you threw into the curse, poisoned, killed and then brought back to life? I want to know what the heck is going on and I want you to put it back to the way it was." I demanded. Man, I was starting to sound really pushy.

"Taryn?" And the Isis knew was back. "How in the world did you get this number?"

"I thought you gave it to me. You know, planting it in my phone and everything." By this point, I was thoroughly confused as well. If Isis didn't know what was going on, than who did this? And why?

"I didn't plant my number in your phone. Why on earth would I do that?" She laughed. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! I hate your guts, why would I want to talk to you?

"My thoughts exactly." I muttered in reply. "So how did your number end up in my phone? And what happened to August and Dixie?" I questioned.

"Don't ask me." Isis replied. "I haven't done anything. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a little tied up right now.

"Wait, if you're still in jail, how did you answer the phone? As far as I know, they don't let anyone have cell phones in there." I asked her, trying my best to piece it all together

"Um, you see, I was just . . . and then it just kind of . . ." She stumbled over her words as she hurried to come up with an excuse

"You aren't in jail anymore, are you?" I realized. The silence on the other end confirmed my suspicion. "And Colton?" I dared to ask though I suspected I already knew the answer

"Honestly? I have no idea. I went to bed last night in my cell across from the crazy man with the bad hair and when I woke up this morning, I was back inside my old bedroom. I don't know how I got here, or what's going on." She actually sounded concerned. Like she was frightened. That was weird to hear coming from Isis.

"That's exactly what happened to me." I said slowly. "I went to bed last night in the apartment and I woke up in my old room at the house where I used to live with Colton.

Isis was quiet for a moment as she tried to figure out what was going on. It was strange, having a normal (well, as normal as we could get) conversation with Isis. She wasn't trying to kill me and I wasn't teasing her about her lack of skills in killing me. It was kind of nice. If I didn't know her better, I would say she was actually a decent person. "Look, I don't know what's going on, but I can't just sit around and not do anything about it. I need to know what's happening.

I rolled my eyes. We both needed to know, but for entirely different reasons. Isis liked to be in charge and have full control of everything. When she didn't it drove her mad. Me? I just wanted to find my friends and get out of this mess. As much as it pained me to even think it, let alone say it, I proposed a deal. "Alright, here's the thing. I don't know what's happening, and you don't know what's happening. I've lost my friends and you're alone as well. I really hate myself for even suggesting this, but we're going to have to trust each other and meet up somewhere to discuss this. Unfortunately, neither of us can do this alone."

Isis made a few pained noises and then consented. "Fine, meet at the old garden in an hour. We'll talk about this then.

I agreed and the line went dead. Almost immediately after I hung up, I heard the front door burst open. The old fear settled. It was the same fear I felt every time Colton used to come home in a drunken rage.

"Taryn!" I heard Colton's voice echo throughout the house and I flinched at the sound. I jumped to my feet and ran down the stairs. I know what you're thinking. 'Why would you run towards the angry drunk man who tried to kill you? Are you insane?' Well, believe me, it was my favorite idea in the world, but there was a chance Colton would have a few answers to what was going on. Besides, I had beaten him once, I was counting on the fact that I would be able to do it again if necessary.

When I reached the kitchen, Colton wasn't there. He must have gone into the living room. Hesitantly, I made my way there. As I assumed, Colton was standing there, staring down at the broken vase angrily. I could see his shoulders rising and falling with every heavy breath. I could smell the liquor on him all the way from the doorway. Looking closer, I realized he had a bottle of beer in his hands. He was drunk as a skunk. Perfect

He slowly turned and placed his bloodshot eyes on me. His face was red and his words were slurred. "Look what you've done!" He bellowed.

"Excuse me?" I questioned with a frown

"Don't play games with me, Taryn." He spoke in a low voice, his words so slurred I could barely understand them. "You went and broke your mother's vase and then you just left it there for someone else to clean up!"

I stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious? Did he not understand what was going on here? Someone was messing with us and all he had to say was 'you broke your mother's vase'? Did I mention, I really didn't like this man

"Don't give me that look! Now clean it up before my wife gets home or there will be consequences!" With that, he pushed past me and staggered out of the room

I watched him leave and then my eyes trailed back to the vase. I was shocked he hadn't said anything about the stains in carpet. If he was that upset about the vase, the red stains on the white carpet should have pushed him over the edge. It was definitely strange. It was almost like he didn't remember anything that had happened. Without a second thought, I ran from the room and out the front door. My feet carried down the same path I had taken the day I had run away. Thankfully it wasn't raining this time though

The few people I met on the streets avoided me like the plague. Everything was going to back to the way it was before the curse. And if everything was back to the way it was before the curse, that means that August was at a bus station right now, heading toward Los Angeles. I stopped in my tracks as I realized, August hated me. If the curse never happened, then August and I never fell in love. He still thinks I'm a worthless piece of dirt. I almost fell over at the thought. That couldn't be possible right? If I still remembered, that means he would too, right? I had to cling to that. I had to believe that he hadn't completely forgotten me. Tears sprang to my eyes at the thought of what could be, but I angrily wiped them away. Now was definitely not the time to cry. If anything, now was the time to be the strongest I had ever been. As I began to run again, a thought came to mind. A spark of hope in the bitterness. If the curse never happened, then there was never a reason to destroy it. There was a chance, a small chance but a chance nonetheless, that Alfie could be alive. Of course, he would be in England and have no idea who I was, but that was beside the point. My heart soared at the thought possibly seeing him alive again.

* * *

By the time I reached the garden, Isis was waiting. For once in my life, I was actually glad to see her. "Isis, something is definitely wrong here." I informed her.

She gave me a 'duh' look. "You're just figuring this out now? Seriously? Taryn, I thought you were smarter than that." She mocked me.

"Shut up, Isis. I mean, things are even stranger than I first thought. Colton came back to the house, and it was like the curse had never happened. He didn't remember anything! He was drunk and going on and on about how I had made a mess in the living room. August is back at the train station where he was when the curse first started and who knows where Dixie is."

"Slow down, Taryn. You're giving me a headache." I rolled my eyes at the woman and she continued. "You're saying that you and I are the only ones who remember anything?"

"That's what it looks like. If I could talk to August I would know for sure." I admitted.

"Why would that make a difference?" She frowned and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Because if the curse never happened then . . ." I let the sentence trail off. The thought was too horrible to put into words. I walked over and planted myself on the stone bench. Unfortunately, Isis followed my lead, taking a seat beside me.

After a moment, Isis' eyes widened. "He wouldn't remember falling in love with you! Oh this is brilliant!" She literally started jumping up and down and clapping her hands. I take back anything and everything I said early about her possibly being a normal human being. The woman was mental.

"Excuse me?"

"Just think, not only do I get watch you torture yourself over this, but there may be a chance that you'll get your heart broken as well! Things are finally starting to look up." She beamed.

"You know, for a moment there I thought you were a real human being. Yeah, that just went down the toilet." I grumbled.

"Please, Taryn. Just because I'm helping you, doesn't mean I like you." She said matter-of-factly while flipping her hair.

"Right, of course. How silly of me to think that you could actually be a nice a person." I said sarcastically.

Isis rolled her blue eyes and flipped her hair again. "Look, if we're going to be working together, we should at least try to be civil."

"Look who's talking!" I bit back.

"Whatever." Her eyes lit up again. "I'm anxious to see how this whole August thing plays out. I say we pay a little visit to the station before his ride leaves."

"You are such a jerk." I grumbled as I stood from the stone bench we were sharing. "Do you have any idea who could be behind this?"

Isis thought about it a moment before shaking her head. "I have no idea. It wasn't me and I don't know anyone else that could do it. I've never actually met another witch." Suddenly her eyes widened. "Wait a minute! There is someone!"

"Who?" I asked eagerly.

"My sister." Isis said slowly, her eyes wide.

"Your sister? I thought you didn't have any family other than Colton!"

"Who told you that?"

"You did!" I said exasperatedly.

"Oh, right. Well, technically, she is part of the family, but we disowned her a long time ago." Isis shrugged. "She hasn't been a part of my family for a many years. I haven't talked to her since we were ten and twelve. Ten years ago."

"Wait," I said, bringing a hand up. "How old are you?"

"Taryn, you never ask a lady her age." Isis scolded."Yeah, well you aren't a lady so . . ."

"I'm twenty and my sister is twenty-two. Why do you care?" She asked bitterly.

I shrugged. "Just curious I guess. I always thought you were older than that though. That only makes you a year and a half older than me. That is so weird.""Can we stop talking about my age now and get a move on? I want to catch August before he leaves."

"Right." I shook my head. "This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder."

"You're telling me. Now come on! I want to watch this disaster play out before it's too late!" She called over her shoulder as she made her way back out of the garden.

Her words brought me back to reality. We were headed to see August. I was about to find out if he still remembered me. If he didn't I didn't know what I would do. It may just ruin me. I didn't know if I could stand the look of hatred on his face that I knew was going to be there.

"Well! Are you coming!" Isis called, her voice sounding impatient. "You're taking so long!" She whined. And there was the Isis I knew. Whiney and pathetic.

I shook my head again and followed the woman out of the garden. I could only pray that things wouldn't turn out the way I imagined them to. Dear God, please let him remember me.

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**Review! Thank you all for reading and giving it a chance. :) Hopefully, it'll be as good as the Curse turned out to be. **


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The trip to the train station was spent in silence. My mind was reeling with the possibilities of what could go down at the bus station, while Isis kept jabbering on about how thrilled she was that she was going to be able to witness this 'train wreck'. Within ten minutes, I was about ready to slap her.

"Would you relax." Isis spoke up from the passenger seat. I had agreed to go with her, but I had to be the one to drive. My trust only went so far with her. She had tried to kill me after-all.

"Are you kidding me?" I shot back at her. "How am I supposed to relax? I'm about to find out if the best thing that ever happened to me has been taken away, and you expect me to relax? Seriously?"

"Sheesh." Isis huffed. "No need to get edgy."

"I'll be edgy if I want to be edgy, thank you very much." I retorted.

Isis just huffed again, crossed her arms over her chest and stared out her window, pouting. I shook my head angrily and returned my full attention to the road. We were getting close to August's departure time. If he did remember, I doubt he would board the bus, but I couldn't take the chance that he wouldn't remember. I pushed the car a little faster, my fear starting to show through.

"You know, if you keep driving like this, Bauer, we're going to get a ticket and I'm not paying it if you do." Isis informed me, not so politely.

"Shut up, Isis. It's not like you were nice enough to just transport us there. I know you can do it. But no! You had to make us take the hour's drive! Why couldn't you have just zapped us there? Things could go so much quicker that way." I complained.

"What? And miss all this fun? No way. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself, watching you go crazy with the thought of what's coming. The build up is half the fun! Why would I take that away by making your life easier?" She scoffed. "Honestly, Taryn, I thought you knew me better than that."

I sighed. "Right, what was I thinking?"

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, we finally arrived at the bus station. Isis and I jumped out of the car and booked it inside. We only had about fifteen minutes before the bus left. I had to find August and I had to find him now! My eyes scanned the people as we ran through the station. Panic set in when I couldn't find him. What if he had left already? What if he really didn't remember? I ran through the entire building twice and ended up in the middle of the station, turning in circles, hoping my eyes would land on him. We were running out of time and fast! We had to find him!

"There!" Isis' voice shouted from behind me.

I spun to find her pointing toward the line of people waiting to board the next bus. There was August, standing in line with his backpack slung over his shoulder. My heart sank at the sight. I had to cling to that tiny piece of hope though. The one that said he would still remember me. That he would remember all the times we had spent together, the good and the bad. Every memory I had was a treasure. He'd once told me the same thing. He just had to remember!

"August!" I called, waving my hand in the air to get his attention. When he didn't respond, I shouted again, "August, over here!"

Slowly, his head raised and he looked over with a frown. When he saw me, his eyes slowly widened and then narrowed to slits. I faltered only a moment before running over to him. "Taryn, what are you doing here?" His voice was hard and full of loathing. My heart shattered at the sound and I nearly collapsed there. "What do you want?" He spat.

I looked to Isis who was positively beaming. She nodded her head enthusiastically and gave me a thumbs up. I turned my attention back to August. "We've come to take you home." I said slowly.

August scoffed. "Right. The last time I checked, you couldn't wait for me to get out of your life. Well, guess what, Taryn, I'm leaving and I'm never coming back. You can thank me later."

Tears built up, but I wouldn't let them fall. Why? Why was this happening? Why couldn't he remember me? "You're telling me you don't remember anything?" I asked carefully.

August's frown deepened. "What are you talking about, Taryn? Remember what? You stealing my iPod before I left? Yeah, I remember. Thanks for that by the way. I almost couldn't get it started again." The anger and hatred in his voice was killing me.

"No." I spoke in barely a whisper.

August sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, what?"

"No." I repeated. "This can't be happening. Please, August you have to remember!" Desperately, I grabbed his hand in both of mine.

August jerked it away with a look of disgust. "I always knew you were weird, Taryn, but I didn't know you were this weird. This is starting to boarder on creepy."

"Oh trust me," Isis cut in. "We are way past the boarder, you are deep into the land of creepy now."

August looked over at Isis then. His eyes widened and he took a step back in shock. "Wow." He breathed.

With a frown, I looked between the two of them. "What's wow? What are you staring . . ." Before I could finish my sentence, I realized, this was the 'first' August had laid eyes on Isis. I had to keep reminding myself that she was an extraordinarily beautiful woman and that August didn't know who or what she was.

"Who are you?" He asked her.

Isis giggled, flipping her hair again. "My name's Isis."

"You're, her friend?" He jabbed a thumb in my direction.

Isis shook her head. "More like frenemies."

"I wouldn't even go that far." I cut in. "Let's just go straight out enemies."

Isis shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Alright, just hold it you two. I don't know why you're here, Taryn, and I don't even know you," He said, pointing at Isis. "But I'm leaving and that's that. This morning, Taryn, you were practically pushing me out the door and now you say you want to bring me back?" He shook his head. "What's wrong with you?"

"Something weird is going on," I answered. "and right now, I just need you to come with me. Until we can figure this out, I need you where I can keep tabs on you."

August frowned. "Keep tabs on me? Are you kidding me? And I completely agree, something strange is going on here. You. Maybe Colton's right, you are a little messed up."

"Shut up, August." My voice rose with my anger and heartbreak. "You're coming with me and that is final! We're going to find Dixie, find out if Alfie came back alive, and then we're going to get your memory back. After that, we put these two back in jail," I jabbed a finger in Isis' direction. "and we can live happily ever after, just like you promised."

August shook his head. "You always were bossy and you never made much sense either. I have no idea what you're talking about but one thing's for certain, I'm going nowhere with you!" August shook his head again, his frown still in place. "Right well, if you'll excuse me, ladies," He said, nodding to Isis and me. The word ladies sounding like poison on his tongue. "I have a bus to catch." Before I could stop him, August pushed his way to the front of the line and boarded the large, grey bus.

I was left standing there with Isis laughing beside me. "That was absolutely priceless!" Isis laughed. "Incredibly cheesy, but priceless!"

All I could do was watch as the bus slowly pulled away. As it disappeared around the corner, a single tear escaped down my cheek and I whispered, "You promised."

* * *

The next few moments were a blur. All I could remember was the sound of Isis' laughter and me, finally breaking down. I remember running. I didn't know where I was, or where I was headed. All I knew was that I had to get away from the nightmare unfolding before me. Flashbacks of the first time I had run away kept appearing in my mind. I should have learned from my mistakes and listened when they said nothing good ever comes from running away. But of course, I never listen to anyone and I was too weak and pathetic to stay and face this nightmare, so I ran.

About half-hour later, I collapsed, exhausted on an old wooden bench in the middle of a large park. A small pond sat to the back of the bench and a dirt patch wound its way around the front. My eyes were red and puffy from crying and my nose kept running. I couldn't believe this was happening. What had I done to deserve this? The only thing that could make this any worse was if we were back inside the curse.

As if on cue, a popping noise sounded from directly behind me. I spun in my seat to find a very confused woman standing a few feet away from the bench. She looked around her and frowned. Placing her hands on her hips she huffed, "Where is everyone? They better not have left me here alone."

My eyes widened when I heard her voice. I would recognize that silky voice anywhere. Anastasia was still dressed in her fluffy, pink gown that she wore throughout the tale. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a braided up-do and her heels kept sinking down into the soft ground. How had I not recognized her before? Better yet, why was she even here?

Before I had time to ponder the question further, another popping noise sounded and Drizella appeared beside her. She stumbled slightly, caught her balance, fixed her hair and turned to face her sister.

"There you are!" Anastasia exclaimed. "Where are the others?"

"They're coming." Drizella answered. "We have to come one at a time. Master hasn't found a method of transporting all of us yet."

"Well what are we supposed to do in the mean time?" Anastasia asked.

Drizella shrugged. "How am I supposed to know. I guess we'll just have to wait here for the others. Master never gave us any instructions before sending us through."

"This is stupid!" Anastasia complained. "Why do we have to be the first to go through? The least Master could have done was send Gaston through with us. At least then we would have a man by our side and we wouldn't be so vulnerable."

"Who said we were vulnerable?" Drizella questioned.

"Just look around you!" Anastasia exclaimed, swinging her arms around for emphasis. "These people are so strange! I saw one girl carrying a black box that kept flashing a light at the other person. My guess is that it's a form of torture." She spoke matter-of-factly. "The second person just kept smiling though. That was really weird."

I snorted at her description of someone taking a picture. I had to remind myself that they had never seen a camera before. They didn't know anything other than their tale. This was all so new to them.

Anastasia turned in my direction when she heard my snort. Her eyes grew to twice their size when she saw me and she started poking her sister in the shoulder repeatedly to get her attention.

Drizella turned to her with annoyance. "What do you want, Anastasia?"

Anastasia pointed in my direction.

Drizella turned in annoyance. When she saw me though, her mouth dropped open in shock.

I waved and grinned at their dumbfounded expressions. "Morning, Ladies!" I greeted cheerily.

"Cinderella, what are you doing here?" Anastasia frowned at me in confusion, her head cocked to the side.

"I live here. Well, not here, here, but in a house about an hour away from here. What are you doing here?" I quickly shot back, hoping to trip her up and possibly get an answer.

"You live here?" Anastasia looked around in disgust. "The Prince really brought you here to live?" She scrunched up her nose at the thought. "Now I'm glad the slipper didn't fit me. Our Kingdom is so much better then this one."

Drizella seemed to snap out of her shocked state then. "Who are you?" She asked, her voice suspicious.

"What do you mean, who is she?" Anastasia asked, dumbfounded. "She's Cinderella, don't you remember? She lived in our attic. Was our maid-girl for a while. Took away our only chance of becoming royalty. Any of this a-ringing-a-bell?"

Drizella shook her head. "This isn't the same girl. Granted you look like her, but there's something about you that's different. I can't put my finger on it."

I smirked at her. "Well, until you're done figuring it out, I'm going go. Places to go, people to see. You know how it is." I stood to leave but Drizella stopped me.

"Wait! I know what it is!" Her eyes shown maliciously. "You're upset. But not just about anything. Your heart has been broken."

Anastasia let out a phony, "Awww, did the Prince finally realize what a loser you were and left you to find a real woman?"

Drizella laughed. "It wouldn't surprise me. I'm suprised he fell for you in the first place."

The mention of August brought back all the heartache, hurt and anger that had been momentarily forgotten. My eyes dropped to the ground for a moment as I fought the urge to cry. "Yes, he left." I replied, finally looking up to meet Drizella's eyes. "But not for the reason you think."

"Ah, I see." Drizella replied sarcastically. "Enlighten me, what might the reason be then?"

I shook my head. "That," I said. "Is none of your business. Now I would like to know, however, is what you are doing in my 'kingdom'." I demanded, using the term Anastasia had used earlier.

"Oh that's simple." Anastasia answered. "Master sent us here on a mission." She said proudly.

"A mission? Of what kind?" I questioned.

"To find and bring back-" Before she could finish, Drizella slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't go telling her! You'll compromise the entire mission!" She scolded her sister.

Anastasia hung her head. "I'm sorry, Drizella. Please forgive me."

"Very well, I forgive you. Just don't go making stupid mistakes like that again. Remember what Master said? This mission is strictly confidential."

"Oh right. The big word that I didn't understand. What did she mean when she said it?" Anastasia asked with a slight cock of her head.

Drizella rolled her eyes. "I have an idiot for a sister." She mumbled under her breath. "It means," She said, turning toward her sister. "That it's top secret. Only the people on the mission get to know about it. Everyone else can't know. That means her."

Anastasia nodded her head. "Got it."

Just then, another popping noise sounded from behind the girls making all of our heads turn in its direction. A second later, a disoriented looking Gaston appeared. He took a moment to take in his surroundings before spying the girls. "Ah! Ladies! There you are!" He greeted with a wide, toothy smile. He waltzed over and looped an arm around each of their shoulders.

"Where are the others?" Drizella asked.

"Are you not happy to see me?" He asked, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. "I'm hurt."

"I'm thankful to see you!" Anastasia pipped up.

"That's my girl." He chuckled, planting a kiss on her cheek. Anastasia let out a very girly giggle and turned bright red. Gaston then turned to Drizella. "The others are all being relocated to different areas. I was sent here to watch over you two. Our mission is to scour the surrounding area and see what we can find. Master said that she would take either one of them, as long as they were alive." He informed them.

"So we're on our own?" Drizella asked, disappointed. "No one's coming to help?"

"Don't look so glum, Drizella!" Gaston said, squeezing her shoulder. "You have me. I'm a great tracker! I'll have that girl found in no time!"

"How?" Anastasia questioned. "You don't even know what she looks like?"

"Sure I do!" He announced with pride. "She's the same girl who pretended to be my Belle. She also apparently pretended to be Cinderella so that she could abstract information from you. We must grab her and get back our rightful girls!"

My heart stopped and I froze in place. What the heck was going on? They were obviously looking for me, but why? Who the heck was this Master person and why was he sending all the fairytale creatures through to this world? I didn't even think they existed anymore since we broke the curse. I watched as Drizella and Anastasia looked at each other and I knew that they knew who they had just been talking to. Without another thought, I dove behind the garbage can that was sitting next to the bench. It wasn't very big. Just large enough to hide me from their view.

"Hey!" I heard Anastasia shout. "Where'd she go? She was just here!"

"Who was here?" Gaston asked in confusion.

"The girl who was pretending to be Cinderella. We were just talking to her." Drizella said.

"You mean you let her get away?" Gaston asked, his voice rising in anger.

"We didn't know that was who we were looking for! No one told us anything before we left!" Drizella protested. "Don't raise your voice at me!"

"Come on!" Anastasia said, her voice sounding urgent. "She couldn't have gotten far. We have to catch her! If we catch her and bring her in to Master, do you know how happy she would be with us?"

"Good point." Drizella said, patting her sister on the shoulder. "Come on, she couldn't have gotten far."

"What about the boy." Gaston asked.

"We'll let another group find him. Right now, let's just concentrate on the girl." Drizella said. The others murmured their agreements and then I heard them move away from my position. I waited a few moments to make sure they were gone before jumping to my feet. This was not good. This was not good at all. Not necessarily the fact that they were looking for me. I had handled them before and I knew there was a chance I could beat them again. But if they were really going after August, he was in major trouble. He would have no idea who or what they were. What if the wolf or the evil witch from SnowWhite got to him? He didn't stand a chance. I had to find him and protect him. Even if he couldn't remember me. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him.

I took off at a run toward the bus station. Hopefully I would be able to catch another bus heading in August's direction and find him before someone else could. I knew he would do the same for me if our roles were switched. I wasn't about to let him down again.

* * *

**Reviews! Thank you to all my lovely readers! Sorry this one took so long to get up. It's been a busy two weeks. But don't worry, the next one is on its way. :) love you all!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, I've never actually been to California so any all things relating to it come from my imagination. Just thought I'd let you know. :) Enjoy!**

**P.S. Sorry this chapter is a little slow. It'll pick up with the next few chapters, I promise!**

* * *

My plan? Go back to the bus station, get on the next bus heading to L.A., find August, save him from certain death, somehow return his memories, come back, somehow eliminate all the characters again and then go home. Simple right? Well, nothing ever goes right when it comes to my planning. I mean, seriously, name the last time a plan of mine actually worked. Go on, I'm waiting. Nothing? Exactly. They never go right! Maybe I should just stop planning and go with the flow. Oh who am I kidding? That's what I do 98% of the time. The other two percent is planned out but that never works either. Maybe it's just me. That could very possibly be. In any case, I should have prepared myself for some unplanned problems. Sometimes I really am not very bright.

Take the bus station for instance. The place was crawling with fairytale creatures. A few that I recognized were Maleficent, the witch from SnowWhite, and of course, the wolf. It just had to be the wolf! The people in the station walked among the characters without even batting an eye. Even the guy standing next to the wolf was oblivious as he bought his bus ticket.

I made sure to keep myself hidden as I peered in the open window. My eyes trailed through the station until they finally came to rest on the time chart on the wall. I quickly scanned it and found that the next bus heading for L.A. left in about ten minutes. Perfect. Now all I had to do was get past the fairytale creatures without getting caught or killed. Not so perfect. How was I supposed to do that? I knew that as soon as any one of them spotted me I would be dead. I couldn't outrun or outwit all of them. Give me one or two and I could probably get through but there were over a dozen of them milling around inside.

The wolf's voice caught my attention as he talked to SnowWhite's witch. "She was definitely here, and not long ago."

"Can you be sure?" The witch questioned skeptically.

"Madame, I am a skilled hunter. It's what I was born for. Literally. I've been tracking my entire life." The wolf replied impatiently.

"Well can you tell me where she went? If you can do that, then I will really be impressed." She told him.

The wolf let out a low growl. "Do not test my patience, Witch. I can not tell you the exact location of the girl, but I can tell you she is close. Her scent is very near. It will not be hard to find her."

"Get a move on then!" The witch commanded. "Give the others a direction to head in and we will all start searching."

The wolf growled again, this time a little more loudly. "You are not in charge here, Witch."

The witch rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine, I will go run my plan by Maleficent, but be ready to move. I have a feeling she will agree with me on this one."

"Oh, I was not disagreeing with you. I too believe we should chase after the girl. I just do not like doing what you say." The wolf chuckled, though it sounded more like a mix between a growl and a purr. It was definitely a strange sound.

The witch huffed again and then went to go talk to Maleficent. The wolf looked pleased with himself at his small victory. I rolled my eyes at them both. From the sound of it, whoever had done this, hadn't granted them their memories back in full. They only allowed them enough knowledge to know that I was a fake and shouldn't have been in their tales. Whoever this person was, was only using them to do their dirty work. I had a feeling the characters wouldn't last long after they had fulfilled their demands.

My eyes went to the clock hanging on the wall and saw I only had five minutes left to get in line for the bus. I still didn't even have a ticket. Maybe I would be able to sneak on without one. I doubted my luck, but I didn't have much else to go on at the moment.

It was then that it hit me. Isis had disappeared. The little rat had left without me! She had expected me to find my own way home. See, this is why you shouldn't trust your enemy to help you. It will always come back and bite you in the butt. Believe, I should know.

My attention was brought back to the station as Maleficent called for the characters to gather around. She told them all that the wolf had found my scent and had discovered the direction I had went. She told them that they were to follow the wolf's instructions carefully and to make sure that I was brought back alive.

'At least there's that.' I thought to myself. Now I knew I wouldn't die as soon as they found me. So I had a little bit of a better chance at getting out of this alive.

Maleficent gave the word and everyone dispersed, heading for the exit. It took me a minute to remember that I was just around the corner from the exit. It wouldn't take much to find me if I didn't move, and fast. I looked and saw the line starting to form as the people waited to board the bus. I had to get in there somehow. I frantically searched for another way into the building, but I couldn't find one. Finally I just shrugged, knowing I had no other choice.

"Well," I told myself. "You know what they say. The best place to hide is right under their noses." My heart raced in my chest as I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt up around my head, stuffed my hands in my pockets and started shuffling towards the front door. My fingers locked around the pocket knife that I had started carrying with me once we had left the curse. I felt safer with it and now I had a feeling it might come in handy.

I pulled the door open right as the witch went to push it. She let out a gasp of surprise as she fought to catch her balance. "Watch what you're doing!" She scolded.

I nodded, mumbled an apology and kept walking. The others didn't pay me any mind, but they weren't the ones I was worried about. The wolf was bringing up the rear, and I knew that no matter how well I hid my features, I couldn't mask my scent. He more than likely would find me, but I didn't have much choice. I was already this far.

I held my breath as I passed him, my eyes glued to the ground. I made it passed without any incidents, but I didn't dare hope too much. I wasn't out of the woods yet. I made it all the way to the bus line before the wolf perked up, letting out a low growl.

"What is it?" One of the characters asked him? I wasn't sure which one since I didn't recognize the voice.

"She's here." The wolf replied.

Dang it! I thought I had gotten away with it! Ugh, I really hate that wolf.

"Are you sure?" It was a woman's voice and I vaguely remembered her as the original Ursula before I had taken over the role.

"Positive."

"Should I go and get the others?" She asked.

"No." The wolf growled. "It is too late for that. We must find her ourselves."

"Very well. Where is her scent coming from?"

The wolf took a moment before replying. "There she is. In the line of people boarding the bus."

"Which one is she?" Ursula asked. I remembered then that she had never actually seen me before. She wouldn't be able to recognize me in the crowd of people.

"The one in the black hooded sweater." The wolf replied. "She walked right by us all." He snarled in anger.

I dared a look at them and saw the wolf staring directly at me. I thought I was going to have a heart attack the way my heart was beating. Our eyes met for a brief moment before I broke it off. Yup, it was time to go! In a rush, I pushed my way to the front of the line. They had started boarding already and most of the line was gone so it didn't take much to get to the front. Behind me, I heard Ursula shout and the wolf howl. They were after me. I jumped on board the bus and ran to the very back. Out the window, I could see the two of them advancing. Only two more people needed to board, but they were taking too long. "C'mon, c'mon!" I quietly urged them on. I held my breath as the last person boarded and the doors closed just as the wolf lunged. His face crashed into the closed door and I let out a breath of relief. That was close, too close.

My eyes met the wolf's again and in the spirit of my good nature, I blew him a kiss and gave him a smug smile. He bared his teeth and let out a dangerous growl in return. I just shrugged, winked and settled down into my seat. I gave him a hard time, but it wasn't over yet. Now he knew where I was going. It wouldn't be long until they all arrived in L.A. At least there, it would be easier to hide. A bigger town meant for more hiding places. My first priority was to find August though. Gaston had mentioned the characters being transported to different locations. There was a very good chance there would be more of them there waiting for me. With a sigh, I settled in for the trip, deciding to tackle that challenge when I got there. For now, I was going to rest. I had a feeling I would need it.

* * *

My eyes flew open as the bus screeched to a halt and I was yanked from my sleep. People shouted in surprise as we were all thrown forward. My eyes shot up to the front window. The driver was shouting out a ring of curses to the person standing in the middle of the road. I couldn't get a clear view of the person but they looked so familiar.

Frowning, I stood from my seat and started pushing my way to the front through the people standing in the isle, trying to get a look at what was happening. As I neared the front of the bus, I was finally able to get a look at the person. I froze in my tracks when I realized I was looking at Isis. As I looked though, I realized that it wasn't Isis but someone who looked freakishly like her. She had Isis' beauty, that was for sure, but there was something different about her. Her eyes were a darker and more dangerous shade of blue and her hair was cut short in a petite bob.

She seemed to be staring directly at me. To test my theory, I scooted from one side of the isle to the other. The woman's eyes never left mine. Okay, so she was staring at me. Creepy! Isis had said something about her sister earlier. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of that being her. Isis had seemed almost nervous at the mention of her sister. If Isis was scared, that meant bad news for me.

The bus driver honked his horn and shouted a few choice words at the woman and then honked again. The woman's eyes flashed dangerously as she looked to the driver and then back to me. In the blink of an eye she was gone. People gasped and muttered about the strange sight, but all I could do was stand there and stare at the spot where she had been standing. I couldn't help but get the feeling that things were going to be a heck of a lot harder than I had first assumed. Now, not only did I have to avoid all the characters from the tales but I also had to deal with a crazed woman on the loose. Compared to her, Isis looked like an angel, and I hadn't even had to deal with her yet! 'This day just keeps getting better and better.' I thought to myself as we all took to our seats again. 'I can't wait to see what's next!' Even the voice in my head was overly sarcastic. But hey! What can you do? Sarcasm was my way of dealing with a stressful situation. It helped to keep me calm and level headed. And right then, I needed all the help I could get.

The only thing that could calm me down anymore was August and at the moment, I was August-less. I cracked up at my own made-up word. It sounded ridiculous, even in my head. But sadly, it was the truth. I didn't have August with me, and I was simply going to have to live with that. I had lived the first eighteen years of my life without August. I could handle right now without him. I was still the same Taryn as I was then. At least, that's what I kept telling myself. The truth was, I wasn't the same Taryn I had been before August. Before August, I never smiled. I never allowed myself to have a good time. All I knew was heartache and loneliness. I was used to standing up for myself and having to rely on myself for everything. I had never known what it was to have someone stand beside you, or love you. August had given all of that to me, and now it was hard to live without it. As much as I tried to deny it, he made me a stronger person. He made me into the person I wanted to be. Without him I was lost.

A single tear escaped the corner of my eye and I angrily wiped it away. That was another thing. I cried more now that I had met August. And the more I cried, the harder it was turn it off again. Though now, it seemed I wasn't going to have a choice. If I wanted to get through this, I was going to have to toughen up. I was going to have revert back to the closed off person I once was. I hated the idea, but I was going to have to deal with it. Until I could get this all sorted out, I couldn't be weak. It would only destroy me.

There, sitting in the hard leather seat of the bus, on my way to one of the largest cities in California, I made a choice. I was going to succeed. I was going to protect everyone I loved. I was going to destroy the curse and everything in it once and for all, no matter the cost. I couldn't care what happened to me if I wanted to protect everyone else. I didn't have to get August's memory back. Maybe it was better this way, without all the painful memories of the curse to haunt him. I didn't have to invade Dixie's life again, I would simply make sure she was alright. As for Alfie, I still didn't know what to believe. I supposed I would cross that bridge when I got there. I wasn't about to let fear for myself or my own feelings get in the way of saving the others.

A small smile spread across my lips as a new determination settled in. I was going to do this, and I was going to do this right.

* * *

Two hours later, the bus finally arrived in L.A. The passengers filed off the bus rather slowly and I was forced to wait in line since I was at the very back of the bus. As soon as I was off, I broke off from the line, dodged security since I knew I didn't have a ticket (or money to pay for a ticket for that matter), and weaved my way through the much larger, crowded station. I knew August would be trying to find his mother, but I had no idea where he would go. The recording never gave any indication of where she was.

It had been nearly five hours since August's bus had left. He could be anywhere by now. But I wouldn't give up. I had to find him. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would either. Just as I was about to leave the station, I caught sight of a boy sitting on a chair against the far wall, next to the janitor's closet. My eyes widened in shock when I noticed it was August. His eyes were puffy and his nose was red like he had been crying. His iPod laid on the seat next to him and his fingers kept fidgeting with the headphone wires.

My heart still beat a little faster every time I saw him. My mind would go haywire and my stomach erupted in butterflies. It was a feeling I didn't think I would ever get used to. Taking a deep breath to clear my head and calm my racing heart, I crossed the room and took a seat beside him. He didn't notice me at first and I kept quiet for a moment.

"Hey." I said quietly after a moment.

August's head shot up and he looked thoroughly shocked to see me sitting beside him. I gave him a small smile but he just glared at me. "What are you doing here, Taryn? How did you find me?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Really, August? You got on the bus heading for L.A. and you're sitting on the chair right inside the front doors. It wasn't that hard to find you. Honestly, I thought my job was going to be a lot harder than you made it."

When he scowled I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. I remembered only too well that scowl of his. It was all I ever saw on his face before the curse. I couldn't help but remember all the times I had teased him about it. "Keep scowling and your face will freeze like that." I told him, just for old time's sake.

"Shut up, Taryn." He grumbled. "What do you want anyway, huh?" He asked, clearly annoyed. His voice was scratchy and it sounded like he had been crying. "I know you like to drive me nuts, but this is taking it to a new extreme."

I sighed. "It's a long story." I told him, lounging in my seat. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the back of the chair. "You probably wouldn't want to hear it, so I'm not going to bore you." Through my lashes, I could see August struggling with the decision of ignoring me or demanding I tell him everything. Knowing him, I knew it wouldn't long before he broke down and his curiosity would get the better of him.

"It's not like we don't have the time." He finally mumbled.

"Hmm?" I questioned, opening my eyes slightly. I had to fight the smile trying to sneak its way up my lips. I still enjoyed messing with him.

August huffed and slumped down in his chair. "We have the time and I have nothing better to do. So if you're going to insist on remaining here, you might as well tell your story."

I scrunched my face up and told him, "Ooh, I don't really like telling stories to people who are really cranky. It kind of takes the fun out of it."

"Taryn." August's voice sounded with warning. He was getting ticked.

I sighed dramatically and repositioned. "Fine, I'll tell you."

"Thank you." August said in exasperation.

I smirked and cleared my throat. "Let's see, where to begin?" I had to find a way to warn him without giving away too much information. Hopefully, the less he knew, the safer he would be. He couldn't know the whole truth. At least not yet.

"Why don't you try the beginning?" He said mockingly. "That's where most stories start."

I shook my head. "This is a special story." I told him. "Starting at the beginning would only confuse you."

"That doesn't make any sense, Taryn." August sighed.

"Bear with me here." I told him. "Ah! I know. See, this story is about a superhero and his best friend. Together, they are unstoppable! Together they had fought many battles, defeated countless villains, but one day, something goes wrong. The boy walks away, leaving the girl on her own, completely confused."

August frowned in confusion. "What are you getting at, Taryn."

"Just shut up and listen to the story." I told him. "Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. The girl chased after the boy to find out what was going on and she realized that something was terribly wrong. Someone had messed with the boys head. He no longer remembered how powerful they were together. He no longer remembered all the lives they had saved and the villains they had destroyed together. He didn't even remember he had superhero powers. The thing was, they weren't alone. All of the villains they had defeated earlier were coming back to take revenge on the heroes. Without the boy's memories and powers, the girl knew there was no chance for him. In desperation, she tried to defeat them all on her own to protect the boy even though he didn't remember her, but she couldn't. She needed him by her side, their powers working together, in harmony like before. Because leading the villains, was a super-villain they had never battled before. She was too powerful for the girl alone, but the boy refused to believe the truth and left the girl to defeat the villain on her own." I stopped then, slowly turning to face August. His eyes were glued to the floor and he was frowning slightly.

Suddenly, the sound of someone clapping came from my left. Both of our heads shot up to face the person standing beside our seats. My mouth dropped open and my eyes grew wide when I saw who it was. The same lady who was standing in the middle of the road earlier was standing only a few feet away from us. She was clapping slowly and over-dramatically.

"Touching story, Taryn. And so well spoken." She mocked. Her voice sounded so similar to Isis' yet so entirely different. Isis was dangerous but this lady radiated power. Her flawless skin almost seemed to glow with it.

"What do you want?" I spat at her. Instinctively, I jumped to my feet so she didn't have that advantage over me. August slowly followed my lead, though he seemed to be completely awestruck by the woman. "Who are you?"

"Now, those are two very different questions, aren't they?" She smiled slightly, though it wasn't the least bit friendly. "Which would you prefer I answer? Or should I ignore them both?" I simply glared at her, causing her to chuckle slightly. "Isis did mention that you were overly stubborn."

"You're Isis' sister, aren't you?" It was a question but it sounded more like a statement.

"My, Taryn. Maybe you aren't as dumb as Isis seems to think." Her silky voice was coated with a tone I couldn't place, but it wasn't one I liked.

"The resemblance is a give-away, but thanks for the compliment." I said sarcastically. "Isis is never this nice to me."

The woman chuckled again. "It seems as though you have answered one of your questions yourself. Should I answer the other or would you prefer to figure that one out as well?"

"Well, I answered the first one, why don't you answer the second? That way we're even." I mocked her.

"Very well. I am here to seal a deal that my sister could not." She replied.

"And what would that be?" I questioned.

She shrugged slightly, her hair falling onto her face ever so slightly. "My sister's goal was never to kill you. Simply to secure you for the time being."

"Why?"

"My, we are full of questions today, aren't we?" She chuckled again, the sound flawless and mesmerizing. "My sister's job was to make sure you could not interfere where you were not wanted."

"My family's curse is broken. There's no need to keep me prisoner anymore." I informed her, though I had a gut feeling that wasn't what she was talking about.

The woman shook her head. "It was never about the curse. That was just a distraction to keep my nosey sister away from the truth. In reality, it is about something so much bigger." I looked at her expectantly but she simply shook her head. "Taryn," She tsked. "Did you really think I would tell about the one thing we are trying to keep you away from? Perhaps my sister was right, and you aren't all that bright."

"Taryn . . ." August spoke up quietly from behind me. I had almost forgotten he was there, I had been so focused on the woman in front of me.

"Not now, August." I shot back at him.

"What is going on? Why won't you tell me? Does this have anything to do with the story you were telling earlier?" He asked.

I sighed and nodded my head. "I'll fill you in later." I assured him.

The woman looked at August then, finally noticing that he was there as well. For a second, something flashed through her eyes, but it was gone before I could place what it was. "Don't worry, Dear." She told August. "There will be plenty of time for that where you're going."

"And where, exactly are we going?" I asked with a frown.

"A little place of my own creation." She smirked. "You thought the curse was bad? You have no idea what's in store for you, Taryn Bauer."

Just then, another bus full of people arrived and on that bus was Ursula and the wolf. It didn't take long before the wolf spotted me and ran over. Before he could pounce however, the woman stopped him. The wolf and Ursula bent over in a sort of bow as soon as they saw the woman standing in front of me. "Master," The wolf spoke. "I am sorry I was not able to obtain the girl faster." He quickly apologized.

"Don't beat yourself up over this wolf." The woman cooed. "You were the only one bright enough to know she was there in the station. I should have known better than to trust those nut-jobs to do the job."

The wolf stood again and brought his eyes up to meet mine. "May I tear her apart now?" He snarled.

The woman chuckled. "Patience my pup, you will have your time. I am sending you, along with a few others through with her. There will be plenty of opportunities to tear her apart, my pet." She promised him.

The wolf snarled once and then sat down on his haunches. "Fine, I shall wait."

"Good boy." She told him, lightly patting him on the head. He didn't look happy about the gesture but he didn't say anything about it. The woman then turned her attention back to August and I. "As soon as the others have found your friends, they will be sent through as well. It will be like one big family reunion!" She clapped her hands in excitement. The resemblance to Isis was freaky.

"Fine, take me." I told her. "But leave August out of this. You've already taken his memory, please don't put him through this."

"Taryn, I can-" August started but I cut him off.

"No." I turned to him with angry tears in his eyes. "It was my fault you were put through it in the first place, I'm not doing it to you again."

"That's lovely, Taryn, but I'm afraid you don't have a choice." The woman said, bringing my focus back to her. "Yes, he doesn't have his memory but I have done that for a reason. Without it, he won't be of much help to you, will he? He'll be more of a burden than anything else. And second, I can't risk the chance of him figuring something I]out about what's really going on. Between the two of you, I knew it wouldn't take long for you to figure it out. I had to do something to stop that from happening. Besides, this just makes things a little more interesting."

"This is insane." I muttered unbelievingly. "You're crazier than your sister!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." She smiled. "Thank you, Taryn. I'm flattered. Now I really must be going. I believe I need to have a word with my sister. As for you two, well . . . let's see how well you can survive this one." She laughed then and before I could do anything, my world went black. All I could do was think, 'Here we go again!'

* * *

**Thank you all so much for giving this story a chance! I love all my readers so thank you! Let me know what you think of the story so far.**

**So I threw in a few twists that I wasn't planning on . . . and it may have completely changed the entire plot of the story. So, you may have noticed the title change. Until I can figure out a new title that better fits the story, it's the going to be The Curse II. ;)**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this one is so short. I've had a really crazy two weeks and I needed to get something out for you guys. And, out of the kindness of my heart. To keep you guys coming back. I decided to throw in a nice little cliffhanger in there. You're welcome! :)**

* * *

Chapter 4

I groaned as I sat up. My eyes squeezed shut against the sharp pain in my side. My hands pressed against the my burning side as I slowly blinked my eyes open. The first thought I had was that she had sent me into the middle of a rainforest. The damp, humid air covered me like a heavy blanket, making it hard to breathe, and the lingering scent of rain bombarded my senses. The sounds of birds, animals and insects all singing together was a loud and slightly obnoxious sound. My head hurt and their symphony was not helping.

Looking down, I saw the source of my pain. I had been lying on several sharp rocks that had been digging into my side. I lifted my shirt and saw small puncture wounds from the stones. Dried blood could be seen on both my skin and the stones.

I groaned again and stuffed my shirt back down. Carefully, I rose to my feet and took another look around. August wasn't anywhere to be seen. Maybe I had gotten lucky and she hadn't sent him through with me. Maybe this time, I wouldn't have to make him suffer with me. My hopes were shattered though when I heard the moaning. He was here and it sounded like he was in pain.

My own pain temporarily forgotten, I raced after the source of the sound. My heart was racing and my feet were constantly tripping over the large roots and vines that littered the soft ground. The trees were difficult to navigate through but I did my best. 'She just had to make this difficult for me, didn't she!'

The sound continued to grow closer as I ran. When I finally reached my destination I nearly screamed. August was lying face down in the dirt, moaning in pain. I could see the blood caking his hair and a small pool of the red liquid rested next to his face. But that wasn't the major problem, if you can believe that. August was lying on the very edge of a large drop off. The area around him was slowly crumbling off, falling down the steep incline.

"August!" I shouted, trying to get his attention. He only moaned in reply and turned his head just enough to look at me. His eyes were dull and unfocused. His skin was pale and over-all he looked close to death. He squinted as he tried to focus on my form. Eventually he just gave up and closed his eyes again.

"No, no, no! August, you have to stay awake! Come on, I need your help here!" I shouted at him desperately.

His eyes slowly opened and trained on me.

"Good boy." I breathed in relief. Now for the tricky part. How the heck was I going to get him out of this? I knew that if I stepped onto the ledge, it would fall completely, but I couldn't just sit here either because it was slowly falling apart and eventually August would fall. I blew out a frustrated sigh and scanned the area for anything that might be useful. It was then that I decided, I hated Isis' sister more than either Isis or Colton. She hadn't even given us time to catch our bearings before throwing us into life or death situations.

"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." I chanted to myself as I searched for anything that might be useful. I didn't even know her name, yet the very thought of the woman sent hatred coursing through my veins.

Eventually, I found a long root that had been uprooted from the ground. It was still tough enough to stay in tact, but flexible enough for me to make a decent size loop at the end of it. I tied it tight and then ran back over to where August was.

I called his name and his eyes slowly fluttered open. "Hey, Buddy, I'm gonna need your help here for a second, okay? Here's the deal, I'm going to throw this root over there by you and I need you to loop your arm through it so I can pull you out of there. Can you do that?" His head slowly nodded and I allowed myself a small smile of relief. "Good, now here it comes!"

It took a few tries, but I finally was able to toss the makeshift lasso close enough for him to reach. My heart stopped every time I heard the ledge crumble. It was happening more and more now with less time in-between. It wouldn't be much longer before the whole thing gave out. I had to get him out of there!

"August, I need you to loop you arm through the hole, can you do that for me?" I called out to him. He slowly started to lift his arm. He didn't get far before moaning in pain and curling up into a ball. "No, come on, August! You have to do this! Do you understand? You are going to die! You need to cooperate!" I shouted at him in anger, tears stinging my eyes.

"It hurts." He groaned in reply.

I sighed and softened my tone. "I know. I'm sorry. But you have to do this for me. After this, I can help to make the pain go away, but first you have to trust me."

Several torturous minutes later, August stretched out his arm, wincing in the process and started fumbling with the root. "Yes, that's it! Come on, you can do this." I urged him on from where I was standing, too afraid to get any closer.

"What do we have here?" A deep voice from behind me grabbed my attention away from August for a moment. I turned to find a tall, thin, black man emerging from the darkness in the trees.

"Who are you?" I questioned.

"I'm shocked you don't recognize me." He said, placing a dramatic hand over his heart.

"Sorry." I said, the sarcasm dripping off my tongue. "Please forgive my stupidity."

"The name is Dr. Facilier."

Yeah, I still didn't know who he was so I just stared at him blankly.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, his cocky attitude disappearing for a moment. "You know, evil magician? Has friends on the other side? Villain from 'The Princess and the Frog'?"

"Oh! I know who you are now! You're that guy from the new version of 'The Princess and the Frog'! The one with Tiana and Naveen."

"That's the one. Now where was I? Oh yeah," He picked his cocky attitude back up, his voice deepening slightly as he spoke. "You're attempts are adorable, but futile."

"Excuse me?" The air seemed to chill with the icy tone of my voice. I took a threatening step forward and poked the man in the chest. He didn't budge, but his eyes were constantly shifting from my outstretched hand to my face. "Listen here, Dr. What's-His-Name. I don't know who you think you are, but I can assure you that I will do everything humanly possible to save August." I paused for a moment before continuing. My breathing was heavy and my mind was racing. I was mad. "August will survive. Of that I am certain, no matter what the cost."

"You would die for him." Dr. Facilier realized, his face lighting up.

I didn't respond. Instead, I turned my attention back to August. He'd managed to loop his arm through the hole and was blinking tiredly at me, waiting for his next order. Ignoring Dr. Facilier's protests, I reached down and grabbed ahold of the root. My eyes locked with August's green ones that seemed to be void of their usual spark. "I'm going to pull you out, okay? Do your best to keep your arm looped through the hole."

His head slowly bobbed up and down in response.

With bated breath, I started to slowly and carefully reel him in. As soon as he started to move however, the ground beneath him started shaking violently. The force of it almost knocked me off my feet.

"I told you it was pointless." Dr. Facilier said smugly. "Move him anymore and the entire thing will collapse."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Just let him die as I sit here and watch?" I screamed at him as tears stung my eyes.

He shrugged. "I suppose that's one option. Unless you can figure out the second one, I doubt you'll be able to save him."

"And what would the second one be?" I demanded.

He shook his head. "I'm not telling."

I huffed in frustration and turned back to August, "Fine, I'll have to do this the hard way then." I tried to pull him in a bit more but that only seemed to make it worse. Eventually, I just gave up on the whole root/lasso idea. I did my best to come up with another idea, but I was running out of time, and fast. The cliff was still crumbling and there wasn't much left it of to fall.

I looked from Dr. Facilier to August and then back again a few times, trying to figure out what the man had meant earlier. I couldn't come up with anything so I did the next best thing. Cautiously, I stepped out onto the ledge. I felt it shaking beneath me, but I tried my best to stay calm.

It took some time but I eventually made it to August. His eyes tried to focus as he looked at me and frowned. "What's going on?" He asked with a slight cough.

"I'm getting you out of here." I replied with a smile. I could tell that I had about thirty seconds to get him off the edge before it completely fell, so I gathered as much strength as I had and heaved August up into a seated position. He groaned in pain and leaned his head up against my shoulder. "Hey, Buddy. Stay with me." I urged him as I did my best to pull him to his feet.

That's when things started to go wrong. I heard a massive cracking noise come from the cliff. The entire thing started to break off from the ledge, knocking me off balance. I tumbled to my knees as I fought to catch my balance. Out of desperation and fear, I pushed August forward causing him to stumble and fall on his face. He made it off the edge though so I let out a sigh of relief. Before I could take a step however, I saw August rubbing his head and getting to his feet as if nothing were wrong.

I sat there for a moment in shock. What the heck was going on here?

He turned to me right as the pain hit. My head split open as if someone had smashed a rock over it and I collapsed to my knees. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming out in pain, as the blood trickled down the side of my face. I wondered for a brief moment if August had felt the initial impact or if he had already been passed out when we got here like I was. I tried to stand and leave the cliff, but I couldn't. It was like I wasn't even in control of my own body anymore.

Distantly I heard someone calling my name. My eyes slowly opened. I hadn't even realized they were closed. August was standing there staring at me in horror. It took me a minute to remember why. 'Oh yeah.' Our eyes locked for a brief moment before the cliff fell, taking me along with it. The last thing I heard was August shouting my name before I blacked out.

* * *

August felt like he was waking up from a really strange dream. When he opened his eyes, he realized he wasn't inside a dream at all. At least, he thought he was awake. Looking around, he caught sight of a tall black man, standing a few feet away. He was laughing and pointing to a spot just behind August.

Carefully, August rose to his feet and turned. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of Taryn falling to her knees as bright red blood trickled down the side of her head. He shouted her name and took a step toward her, but the man stopped him.

"I wouldn't go any closer." He warned. "That edge is about to fall. We wouldn't want you falling along with it, now would we?"

August turned back to stare at Taryn in horror. His mind went blank of any ideas that might help. The only thing he could do was call out to her. Slowly, her eyes rose to meet his. Pain was written all across her face as their eyes locked. As if in slow motion, the cliff cracked off and tumbled down in to the abyss. August screamed her name and ran to the edge, just barely stopping himself from falling off as well.

The drop was so great that August couldn't even see the bottom. He listened for any sound that would indicate the landing but he heard nothing. Taryn would never be able to survive a drop like that. The sound of the man's laughter brought August's attention on him.

"You!" August growled at the man.

The man stopped laughing and turned to August in surprise. "What?"

August jumped at him with fury in his eyes. The man wasn't expecting it and couldn't get out of the way fast enough. August tackled him to the ground and slammed his fist into the man's face. "What did you do to Taryn?" August demanded. "Why didn't you do anything to help?"

The man's eyes were wide with fear as he stared at August. His lip was bleeding and his hat had been thrown from his head. "Please don't hurt me." He whimpered pathetically.

"Excuse me?" August shouted in reply. "You expect me not to beat the crap out of you after letting her just fall like that?" The man let out a squeak of fear as August raised his fist again. "Tell me where she is!" He shouted at the man. "Where did that cliff fall to?"

The man suddenly smiled. "Now that you'll have to figure out for yourself. See, my master would not like me telling you and frankly, I don't tell secrets to bullies."

August was about ready to punch the man again, but the man cut him off. "Look, if you want to save your precious princess, you're going to have to hurry. It won't be long before Wolf finds her and if she's alone, she won't stand a chance."

"Who's Wolf?" August asked in confusion.

The man sneered. "An old friend." His voice dripped with sarcasm and the fear in August skyrocketed.

Without a second thought, August jumped to his feet and took off running. He raced along the edge of the cliff, his eyes searching for any possible way down. He had to find Taryn before this wolf person did. He wasn't even sure where this protective nature was coming from, but he couldn't bare the thought of something happening to her. An urgency that was completely foreign to him and yet completely familiar at the same time. It was strange but he didn't fight it.

He was so focused on his task, that he was completely oblivious to the eyes watching him from shadows of the trees. He didn't notice the shadow trailing behind him. Or the fluttering of wings soaring above him. He was so focused on the task of finding Taryn, that he never noticed the danger that was starting to close in.

* * *

**So, last time, I felt like I was being kind of pushy with the whole review thing . . . I didn't want to do that this time. Feel free to review all you want! I absolutely love all the reviews I get and constructive critisism is most welcomed, but don't feel at all pressured. I love you all for sticking with me and giving my stories a chance. I would love to someday be a true author and so your support really means a lot to me. You guys are amazing! :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am so sorry you guys! It's been a crazy few weeks and I've been really sick. This isn't the best chapter I've ever done but I wanted to get something out for you. i promise to do my best and try to get the next chapter up sooner. Love you all! Thank you so much again for sticking with me!**

**Taryn's POV**

The pain in my head was unbelievable. The fact that I still seemed to be falling was even more unbelievable. It felt like I had been falling for days. Of course, with the head wound, I was more than likely a little delirious. My ability to determine the time passed was probably non-existent. I had probably only been falling for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

Most of the memories of what had happened back there were gone. The only thing I really remembered was the look of pure horror on August's face when the edge broke off from the cliff.

I could have sworn that I had blacked out for a minute, but that was ridiculous. If I had, there would be no way I could still be falling. The thought of the drop being far enough for that to happen was enough to make me sick. I was never a fan of heights, and this was why.

I had a dream once where I fell into a black hole. In the dream, the drop never ended. I was constantly falling, dreading the impact that I knew was eventually coming. It never did though. I woke up feeling like I was still falling and it had taken me several minutes to realize that I was safe in my bed. That's sort of what this felt like. The only other way I can describe it is that feeling you get when you're on a rollercoaster and your stomach drops. Yeah, that's what this felt like only it was constant. It never let up and frankly, it was starting to make me feel sick. Not only that, but the pain in my head continued to grow steadily.

Slowly, I forced my eyes open and looked around. I was in complete darkness. I couldn't see two feet in front of me. If it weren't for the feeling in my stomach and the fact that my hair was standing straight up, I wouldn't have even known I was still falling.

Suddenly, a small light appeared next to me. When I turned my head to look though, it darted out of view. Frowning, I whipped my head around, only to have it zip out of view again. For a moment, I thought my brain was playing tricks on me. What in the world was this thing? More than likely I was simply imagining it.

Those thoughts disappeared though when the small light landed next to me on the falling edge. After being in the darkness for so long, it took me a moment to be able to focus on the new light. Once my eyes were able to focus, I realized it wasn't a light but a small fairy looking creature. It's large eyes blinked at me in curiosity as it cocked its small head to the side.

I stared back in confusion. Who or what was it? I had no way of knowing if it were friendly or not. In desperation I croaked out, "Help me."

The small light giggled and disappeared. I blinked in confusion, not entirely sure if I had really seen in or if I really had been imagining it.

I shook my head. It had really been there. I was sure of it.

Using what little energy I had, I crawled to the edge of the ledge and looked down. It was dark at first, but after a minute a small light started to form. I narrowed my eyes, trying to get my eyes to focus on it, to try and figure out what it could be. For a moment, I thought it might be the giggling light again. It slowly grew larger and larger until I could clearly see that it was, amazingly, the ground. I could see the green of the grass and the sparkle of the sun hitting a small stream of water.

For a brief moment, I got excited. I was finally going to reach solid ground! No more falling! But then the reality of my situation hit. At the rate I was falling, I would never survive the impact of the landing. I groaned and rolled over onto my back, covering my eyes with my arm. My heart rate increased by 300% and I could only pray that it would be a quick death. Although the pain couldn't get much worse than it already was.

_Are you kidding me?_ That little annoying voice in my head nagged at me. _You're giving up now? After everything you've been through?_

"Shut up." I hissed back. "I don't need you to make this worse."

_I'm just saying. You're Taryn Bauer! How can you just give up now? You've been through worse then this. Remember the monkies? Or the dragon? How about the wolf? _

"Like I could get out of this one." I scoffed. "The only thing I can make out in the darkness is the ground that's coming up to crush us."

_So you're just giving up?_

"Why not?"

_What about August?_

That thought made me pause. What about August? What was he going to do? How was he going to get out of here without knowing what was going on? The odds would definitely be against him. My arm came down and my eyes shot open. I couldn't give up. Not now. Not until I knew August was safe.

Forcing myself up into a seated position, I scanned my surrounding areas. I couldn't see anything in the darkness. The only thing I could really see was the ground fast approaching. I racked my brain for any bright ideas but I couldn't come up with any.

The pain in my head was growing worse. I longed for the relief that the darkness offered, but I refused to let myself pass out. Several times, I had to stop and wait for myself to regain full consciousness again before returning to finding an escape.

The ground was becoming frighteningly close. My heart pounded against my chest and my mind was running a million miles a minute. I couldn't see my way out of this one. There was nothing I could do. I was injured and helpless on this stupid cliff. Maybe, since the cliff was so large, it would take the brunt of the impact and I would be able to walk out of this alive.

I was so caught up in my thoughts, I almost didn't catch the small light reappear beside me. It's giggle caught my attention and I whipped my head around to stare at the fairy creature.

"Who are you?" I asked it.

It only giggled in response and flitted up into the air above me. My gaze followed it as it did a few loops around my head. It finally came to a halt to my right. My eyes narrowed at the creature before growing wide in shock. The fairy let out another giggle, realizing that I understood and then darted away, disappearing in the darkness.

The fairy had just shown me my escape! With the small amount of light it had given, I had been able to make out some sort of a vine hanging beside me, only a few feet away. Desperately, I crawled my way to the edge and reached my arm out, groping around in the darkness.

Hope surged through my veins and a new strength engulfed me when I felt my fingers wrap around the thick vine. With every last bit of strength I had, I grabbed ahold of the vine with both hands and jumped from the falling cliff. I gasped as the vine swung with the sudden weight, slamming me into a wall. My eyes watered from the pain, both in my head and now in my ribcage. My breathing became labored and I realized I must have broken a rib, or two. My arms strained to hold me up and sweat began to bead my brow.

Looking down, I watched the ledge tumble out of the small tunnel we had been falling through and land with a crash against the green ground. The entire thing shattered into millions of little pieces, leaving nothing but rubble behind.

I sighed in relief and clung to the vine. _Now what?_ I had saved myself from certain death, but now I was suspended in mid-air with no way down. I had no way of knowing how far down the vine reached. I couldn't hold out much longer though. My muscles were already starting to shake and give out. I had to find a way out.

Reaching out with my legs, I planted my feet against the wall of the tunnel and started slowly descending down the vine. as I climbed down, I realized that the tunnel was narrowing. By the time I reached thend of the vine, I could barely move. How the ledge had made it through I would never know. Then again, this was a world created by Isis' sister's mind, so anything was possible.

Looking down again, I saw there was still a decent size drop. It probably wouldn't kill me, but I could easily break another rib and if I wasn't careful, it could very well puncture a lung or even my heart and kill me. Either way, my options didn't look good. I didn't have much of a choice though. It was either take my chances and jump, or hang there forever.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let go of the vine. My body instantly dropped, shooting me to the ground. I landed with a thud and I let out a cry of pain. I was grateful as the darkness engulfed me, saving me from the pain.

* * *

**August**

It seemed like a hopeless cause trying to find a way down. August had been following the cliffs edge for nearly three hours now and he still hadn't found a way down yet. He was starting to think he would never get down there.

Several times he almost turned around and gave up. But something always kept him going. Something he couldn't explain. A feeling in the pit of his stomach that kept nagging at him until he resumed his trek. He didn't know why he was so determined to find Taryn. He didn't even like the girl for Pete's sake! She drove him crazy! The fact that his feet were still driving him forward was enough to make him question his sanity.

He finally just chalked it up to a guilty conscience. He didn't know if he could live with himself if he knew Taryn was injured and he didn't do anything to help. He was just being nice, that's all. There was nothing more to it. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

If he were being honest with himself though, things had been getting strange ever since he'd left the house earlier that day. He had almost felt guilty leaving. At first he had ignored it, but the feeling only grew stronger the farther he traveled from the house.

Once he had arrived at the bus station, the guilt turned into something else. A longing. A longing to have his arms wrapped around her. To feel her breath on his face. To see the sparkle in her brown eyes when she smiled. The sudden emotions and images in his head had almost knocked him off his feet. It had only gotten worse when she actually showed up at the station.

He remembered the way his heart had soared at the sight of her beautiful dark hair and bright brown eyes. Her eyes had positively shone when she saw him. Watching the hope in her eyes shatter and knowing it was because of him had killed August. He had hid all of his emotions behind a mask of indifference though. He couldn't let her know about the strange feelings creeping around inside of him. At least not until he had a chance to figure it out himself.

Walking away from her had been one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. It scared him. Scratch that. It terrified him, just how much he felt for the girl that just moments before had drove him insane just by being in the same room. Where were these feelings coming from and why now?

After getting off the bus, all August felt was empty. He found a bench and ended up crying into his hands until he had no tears left to shed. It wasn't long after that Tayrn showed up. She didn't say anything at first and August hadn't even realized she was there until she spoke up. He remembered the story she had told him. It was strange and didn't make much sense at the time but now he felt like maybe it had been some kind of warning or clue. Looking back now, he wished he'd paid more attention. Now Taryn was hurt somewhere and August had no way of knowing where to find her.

He was jerked out of his thoughts though when a small ball of light hit him in between the eyes. August hollered in alarm and tripped over a vine, causing him to stumble and fall on his face. When he looked up, the light had disappeared.

Groaning, August pushed himself to his feet. He wiped his clothes free of dirt and then looked around. All he could see were trees to one side and the drop off on the other. Rolling his eyes at himself, August decided he had just been seeing things and started his trek again.

It appeared so suddenly, he nearly screamed and lost his balance again. There it was. That small ball of light. He hadn't been seeing things! Looking closer, he realized the small ball of light was actually a small fairy-like creature. One that you might see out of a child's fairytale book. It was like a blue version of Tinkerbell. The only difference was that this little guy's eyes seemed to be a little to large for its little head.

The tiny fairy cocked its head to the side and blinked its large eyes at August. It looked curious, like it had never seen another human before. August stared back with equal curiosity. He had to admit that this was one of the strangest things he'd ever seen. Though in the back of his mind somewhere, something told him that he had actually faced a lot worse. The feeling was weird. Like a memory that should be there but wasn't.

For a few long minutes the two of them stared at each other until the fairy jerked its head in the direction of the woods and then darted away. August frowned and turned to look where the fairy had been looking. What had scared it so bad? It didn't take long for him to figure it out.

Standing inside the tree line was a giant beast. It's fur shone white with black spots dotting its entire coat. Its tail curled around its legs like a cat and it teeth were bared, showing off razed sharp fangs. Large yellow eyes narrowed at August as the beast crouched, preparing to pounce. Drool dripped from its mouth and he was making a low growling noise. It reminded him of that big fury beast from the Disney movie _Alice in Wonderland_. You know, the one with Johnny Depp?

The hairs on the back of August's neck stood on end as he stared at the beast. _No wonder the fairy ran._ August though to himself. He stood stalk-still. Afraid that any small movement might trigger the beast. It didn't last long though. The beast let out a loud growl before leaping toward August.

August shouted in alarm and turned to run. The beast took chase after him. He was faster than he looked. A beast the size of a small truck should not be able to run this fast! August did his best, weaving in and out of the trees, but the beast kept up without a problem, slowly gaining.

August's heart raced as he searched for any escape. All of a sudden, the fairy appeared beside him again, staying next to his shoulder as he ran.

"What do you want?" He panted, glancing over at the small creature.

It nodded its little head to the side in a gesture that said it wanted August to follow him. Seeing no better solution, August complied and veered to the right, following the tiny ball of light.

The fairy led him through the maze of trees before they finally emerged out into an open ledge. They were back to following the cliffs edge. Only, the fairy didn't follow the edge, she flew right off the cliffs edge.

August slid the a halt, just barely missing the drop off. The fairy waved at him to follow but August shook his head at her. "Are you insane?" He demanded. "I can't fly!"

The fairy shook its head and motioned again for August to follow. Just then, the beast burst through the trees with a snarl, it's yellow eyes training on August.

August gasped and looked back at the fairy. "I sure do hope you know what your doing." He told it before closing his eyes and jumping off the edge, just as the beast lunged for him. Its sharp claws just barely missed his back and August tumbled down into the abyss. All he could do was pray that the fairy hadn't just led him to his death.


	7. Chapter 6

**August's POV**

August quickly found out that clouds in real life were nothing like the clouds in stories. For on thing, these clouds were not in any way, solid. He fell through each of them as if there was nothing there at all.

For another, they were very cold, wet, and full of dirt. It didn't take long for him to become soaking wet. His skin was coated with several layers of dirt and he was shivering from the cold.

August's arms flailed wildly, as he searched for anything that might help slow down his fall. All he could find though was just more clouds. It was frustrating to say the least. That stupid fairy thing had led him to his death and he'd fallen for it. Literally.

He had a feeling he would have had a better chance battling that giant cat thing then surviving this fall. At least up there, he could have done something to fight for his life. Here, all he could do was hope for a quick death. But the stupid fall seemed to take forever. After a while, the fear receded slightly, replaced by confusion and, well, boredom. Not that he wasn't scared of the eventual impact with the ground, but seriously, how long could he possibly fall for?

Maybe it was one of those never-ending drops. Like out of some horror movie. The fear is always there because you never know when the impact is coming, but it never actually comes. Leaving you in a constant state of anticipation. And not the good kind either. It was literal torture.

He had to wonder, was Taryn alright? Was she still falling as well? Had she ever landed? Perhaps this was why the fairy had led him off the cliff. Maybe she thought this was a better fate then being torn to shreds.

Well, she was wrong. Now, instead of a quick and possibly noble death, August was going to die slowly. He would die of starvation or lack of water. And he would die alone. A person could go several days without water before eventually their body would start failing and shutting down. Not that he wanted to die sooner, but come on! This had to be the worst possible way to go.

Just when August thought there was no hope left for him, he caught sight of something off in the distance. Something large.

_Great_. August thought to himself. _Something else that wants to kill me._

As the shape drew near, August was able to pick out more details. The thing was shaped like a lion, with shimmering golden fur and large round eyes. But it had the wings and head of an eagle. Huge, razor sharp talons were tucked up under the beast as it flew. A monkey like tail protruded from the end of its long, golden body.

August was helpless to do anything but watch as it flew towards him. It didn't take long before the creature was directly above him. It let out an ear-piercing screech before reaching out its talons and locking them around August's arms.

August cried out in alarm and struggled against the creatures hold but it was too strong. It was like fighting steel. In his struggles, August caught a glimpse of the view below him. What he saw made him freeze in shock. They were soaring just feet above the ground. Another few seconds and August would have been a human pancake. The strange, flying lion thing had saved him.

With wide eyes, August looked up at the beast's head. It's eyes were trained ahead, carefully mapping their path. It didn't take long after the sudden realization to also notice that the beast's grip on August's arms were loose enough to keep from injuring him in any way. The thing had no ill intentions. It was saving his life! Maybe the fairy hadn't been leading him to his death. Maybe she had somehow known that the gryphon thing would be here to save him. August suddenly felt guilty about accusing her of foul play.

After a little while of flying, the creature swooped down to the ground and gently dropped August to his feet. With another ear-splitting screech, it flew away, soaring up and over the tree tops. August watched until it disappeared before turning to look at his surroundings.

The gryphon-thing seemed to have dropped him off in the middle of a tropical paradise. There were giant palms, swaying gently in the warm breeze. A waterfall cascaded down into a glistening blue pool off to his right and there were bright flowers everywhere. Surrounding the entire area was a thick forest. August thought it would be a perfect romantic getaway or even just a place for someone to come and hide away from the world for a while.

Up above his head, August caught sight of bright, tropical birds soaring between the branches. The place was almost too good to be true. August brought his hands up and rubbed hard on his eyes. There was no way that what he saw was real. The creepy, dark wood that he had just been in was nowhere near close to this Amazon oasis.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with the shock of his life. The tropical paradise was gone. In its place, was a barren desert. Now, August had heard of mirages before and he knew that some could be quite extreme. But this extreme? He went from tropical paradise to barren, lifeless desert in a matter of two seconds. He didn't think his mind could even come up with a trick that elaborate or detailed for that matter. It had seemed so real!

For the next few minutes, all August could do was stand and stare in confusion at the scene before him. Even the temperature had changed. Instead of the damp, heavily humid air, it was dry and hot. August was having a hard time breathing.

Several moments later, right before his eyes, his surroundings changed again. He was now standing in a wide open field. All he could see in any direction was the green grass and bright blue sky. The sun shone in his face, causing him to squint against the brightness.

"What the heck?" August muttered as he cautiously started forward. He didn't make it very far though before it changed again. This time he was in the middle of a crowded street in what looked like London. The air was damp and cold and the sun was now behind him.

So not only was his location changing but his direction was as well. No matter which direction he chose to walk, he would always end up walking in circles.

August stopped in his tracks. The crowds of people skirting around him, occasionally bumping his shoulders. Now what was he supposed to do? How in the world was he supposed to get out of here?

* * *

**Taryn's POV**

I woke with a splitting headache and an aching body. It felt like someone had repeatedly thrown me against the wall and then tied me to the tracks and ran a hundred car train over me.

Groaning, I squinted my eyes open. The sun blinded my vision and I quickly closed my eyes again. Slowly this time, I allowed my eyes to adjust as I opened them again. Once my eyes came into focus, I took in my surroundings. I was lying on my back, staring up at the tiny opening that I had somehow managed to squeeze my way through. The drop was a lot larger than I had first assumed. I was lucky to be alive.

Carefully, I checked all my limbs, feeling for any breaks or bruises. My whole body felt bruised and my right arm was lying at a funny angle. I couldn't move my fingers on that hand and the entire arm was numb. I must have been out for quite a while for the entire arm to be numb. I was grateful I didn't have to live through the initial pain of the break.

I attempted to get myself into a seated position but my arm wouldn't allow it. Any slight movement and the whole thing would burst into flame. At least that's how it felt.

I couldn't believe this! After all that, and I was stuck, unable to move from this spot. Was this what Isis' sister considered a joke? Well I didn't find it very amusing. And I wasn't about to play along.

Biting my tongue to keep from screaming, I used my good arm to push myself up onto my knees. The massive head rush I got forced me to almost lose my dinner from the night before. I leaned forward, resting my head in between my knees and took several deep breathes waiting for it to pass.

When it did, I slowly raised my head and looked around. I was kneeling in the pile of ruble that used to be the section of cliff I had ridden down the fall. The area behind me was nothing but fields for as far as I could see. Up above, the tunnel had disappeared, leaving nothing but the blue sky and a few fluffy, white clouds to be seen.

So, I had no way of getting back the way I came. My only hope was to get up, choose a direction and hope for the best. If I was honest with myself, which I wasn't, I would say that the idea of traveling into the unknown terrified me. Especially in here. This was nothing like the curse. At least the curse had some sort of structure and order. This place was pure chaos. Literally anything could happen at any moment. My chest tightened at the thought of August all alone. Without the memories of the curse and everything we had learned there, he didn't stand much of a chance. I had to find him before something else did.

Knowing him though, he would find a way to keep himself alive. This was August we're talking about. He had a survival instinct that could not be matched. I had to keep reminding myself that he probably didn't need my help. In fact, it was probably the other way around. I was the one who needed his help. I was practically useless in my current state.

Well, useless or not, I had to move forward. I couldn't just sit there and hope help would come. I was stronger than that.

So I pushed myself to my feet, staggered but managed to stay upright, and waited for the world to stop spinning. The dizziness was so intense it almost knocked me off my feet again but I somehow managed to keep my feet under me.

After a moment, I took a few tentative steps. My feet felt like they were made of bricks and the pain in my headed intensified with every step.

As soon as I stepped off the last piece of rubble though, the pain disappeared. It just vanished. I felt like I had just woke from a long nap feeling refreshed and energized. Better yet, I felt as if I had just downed five cups of Starbucks coffee. Even my broken arm seemed to have healed.

Out of curiosity, I stepped back just enough to place a foot back in the pile of rubble. As soon as my foot touched the broken earth, the pain returned and I quickly yanked my foot away, extinguishing the pain.

Alright, so that was weird. Apparently, the cliff had some sort of curse on it. Good to know. Now I knew to be careful for these types of things.

I turned toward the open field behind me. "Here goes nothing." Taking a deep breath, I surged forward with a new, much more confident stride. I felt like I could take on the world. I probably should have questioned the sudden burst of energy, but I didn't. That was a decision I was going to regret.

* * *

**August's POV**

For the past several hours, August felt like he had been walking in circles. Which he probably was. It was such a strange feeling. He'd been through countless locations ranging from a sewage plant, to someone's living room. Thankfully no one had been around at the time and the scene had changed before he could get caught.

Eventually, August collapsed to the ground, exhausted. This was ridiculous. How was he supposed to get anywhere if he just kept walking in circles? He'd tried everything. Every time a scene would change he would turn to walk in the direction of the sun, but that did nothing. He tried simply turning around and walking the opposite way every time it would change but that did nothing either. Heck, he even tried just closing his eyes and walking in a straight line, but nothing worked. He was either walking in circles, or he was walking in place, like a treadmill. Either way, August wasn't thrilled about it.

Several more rotations went by before August finally sat up and looked around. He was sitting in the middle of a herd of cows. Each one was big, black and smelled bad.

With a sigh, August pushed himself to his feet and tried to catch his bearings. Any minute now the surroundings would change again and it was always a little overwhelming.

One of the cows, he noticed, had taken a particular fondness to him. The cow just kept staring at him with big brown eyes. The only movement it made was the occasional lick of its nose with its tongue.

"Hi." Normally, August might feel a little strange talking to a cow, but at the moment, he didn't really care.

Naturally, the cow didn't respond...immediately. "Hello."

August nearly jumped out of skin when the animal actually responded...in English. "What?" August choked out.

The cow rolled its eyes and shook its shaggy black head. "You said hello so I was just being polite and responding. Was that a problem?" The cow asked impatiently.

August shook his head. His eyes as wide as dinner plates. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to cows speaking. It's a little strange for me."

The cow shrugged (if a cow could shrug) and flicked its tail. "No biggie."

"Okay I'm sorry but, how are you doing that?" August asked tentatively.

"Doing what?" The cow asked with a head cock.

"That, that talking thing." August stuttered out.

"Momma, Dada, milk, you pick it up." The cow replied like it was completely normal and August was an idiot for asking.

"No I mean...you're a cow."

"Brilliant observation." The cow responded sarcastically.

"Cows don't talk." August stated. Though he said it, he didn't sound very confident.

"You sure about that?" The cow asked. "I'm pretty sure I'm talking. And last I checked I was a cow."

August shook his head. "This just keeps getting stranger."

"The name's Lucy." The cow introduced herself.

"August." He replied.

At the mention of his name, one of the nearby cows lifted its head and turned to look at August. That one didn't seem nearly as friendly as Lucy.

"Did you say August?" Lucy whispered, her eyes large. "As in the August? The one Master sent here to destroy?"

"Excuse me?" August chocked out. "Did you say destroy?"

"Keep your voice down!" Lucy scolded. "Yes destroy. You and another girl that came through. What's her name again? Terrance?"

"Taryn?"

"That's it!" Lucy exclaimed before quickly lowering her voice again. "If either of you were to show up, our orders are to attack. You're just lucky you found me instead of one of the old grouches." She told him, flicking her head in the direction of the other cows.

August looked over to find that the other cow had gone back to grazing. "Not that I'm complaining, but why haven't you attacked?" August asked curiously.

Lucy huffed. "I don't agree with most of what Master has us do. Most of the time I do my best to get out of doing her dirty work. She's not the friendliest person in the world you know. She could stand to take a few chill pills."

"I know what you mean." August agreed.

It was then that it occurred to him. This was the longest he had ever staid in one place without it changing. He wondered just what was happening. There was nothing special about this place. All August could see, besides the cows, we're open fields. Maybe all his walking had finally paid off. Maybe he had finally wandered out of the cursed area.

"Who's the farmer?" August asked, looking around. "Who takes care of you guys?" He was hoping to maybe get a clue as to what was so special about this place.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "An old grouch." She huffed. "He's always going on about how he used to be a prince. He's always cursing out Master and demanding why one of his brothers couldn't of had this job. It gets on your nerves after a while."

"A prince?" August raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Yeah, and I believe it too. The way he's always slacking off and avoiding work. He never does anything and when he does, it's obvious he's never had to do any of this before." Lucy stated with a shake of her head. "It's pitiful really."

August shook his head. "This is insane." He muttered to himself. "What kind of a place is this? Tiny, blue fairies; giant, furry monsters; gryphons; talking cows! What else could there be? What kind of a crazy world is this?"

"I believe some call it, 'Echo Land'. Others call it 'the land of imagination'. I prefer to call it 'the-world-in-which-no-one-ever-has-any-fun'." Lucy said dramatically.

"Weird." August muttered. "Right. So how do I get out of here?"

"Oh there is no way out." Lucy said with a nod of her large head. "Not unless she decides to let you go and she's never let anyone go before."

"Who's 'she'?" August asked, almost afraid to here the answer.

"The one who created this world in the first place." Lucy replied. "Echo."

"Echo." August repeated slowly. His eyes grew wide as it all started to make sense. "That must have been the woman who sent us in here at the bus station! Taryn had something about her being the biggest threat we've ever faced."

"Echo's the biggest threat anyone's faced." Lucy agreed. "Taryn sounds like a smart girl."

"She is." August blurted out before he could even think about what he was saying.

Lucy smiled but didn't comment on it. "It's said that she's even more dangerous then her two siblings, Isis and Colton. I've never met either but I hear rumors all the time. Cows love to gossip."

"Isis and Colton." August said, mainly speaking to himself. "Why do those names sound so familiar?"

Lucy looked shocked at his lack of knowledge. "Well if you really are the August and Taryn from the stories, you've fought them before. From what I've heard, Taryn even died once!"

"She what?!" August shouted, catching the attention of several other cows. They raised their large heads and stared at him with dark eyes.

"Keep your voice down!" Lucy scolded. "Obviously she's alive now or the both of you wouldn't be in here. Besides, I don't even know if that's true or not. It's just a rumor."

August took a deep breath to calm his raging heart. He didn't understand the sudden urge to see Taryn. To make sure she was alive and alright. The thought of her lying there, dead was too much for him to think about. Feelings he couldn't describe starting bubbling up and he had no way of controlling them.

"Great, now you've gone and done it. I think the others are starting to catch on."

Lucy's voice yanked August from his thoughts and he looked up to the other cows still staring at him. Slowly, they started to approach.

"I think you'd better run." Lucy suggested. "No seriously. Get out of here before they corner you! Go!"

August didn't wait for her to tell him again. He spun on his heals and took off in the opposite direction. He looked back once to find that the cows weren't following him, but they were watching, closely.

Turning back around, August just barely caught himself from slamming into a person he could have sworn hadn't been there just a second ago. He stumbled back a few steps so he could see the man's face.

He was a handsome man. Tall, muscular, dark green eyes and flaming red hair. August instantly felt grungy and pathetic next to him. He knew he was covered in dirt and sweat and he probably looked like he'd been dragged through Hell and back.

"What are you doing in my field?" He demanded hotly.

"Sorry. I didn't know this field was taken." August bit back. Suddenly the guy didn't look so nice anymore.

"Well this is my field and I want you off of it!" The man started to throw a fit and it was all August had not to laugh at him.

"I'm having a hard time taking you seriously, right now. Who are you exactly?" August managed to get out without laughing.

The man instantly straightened, standing tall and announced, "I am Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

"I'm sorry, did you just say, 'Prince Hans'? As I'm from the movie Frozen?" August asked, stunned.

"Yes, that would be me." He sighed. Then his eyes grew dangerously dark. "And you must be August. The infamous 'knight in shining armor' from the Curse." He chuckled. "Master will just love me for bringing you in. Then perhaps I'll be promoted to another job!"

"I'm not going anywhere with you." August stated firmly.

Hans raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Is that so?" He brought his hand up to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. On cue, all of the cows, including Lucy turned their heads toward the former Prince. Hans smiled and pointed at August. "Get him."

Without a moments hesitation, the entire herd charged.

* * *

**Thank you all for sticking with me! You're amazing! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this one up! Hope you enjoy it! Happy Easter everyone! :)**

* * *

**August's POV**

The sound created by the pounding hooves of the charging cows was unbelievable. It sounded like an earthquake was about to tear apart the earth, swallowing up anything in the way.

August stood in shock, unable to move for a moment. The cows eyes had gone from black to blood red. Even Lucy's. August doubted she was in her right mind anymore. They were all being controlled by Prince Hans.

Between the talking cows and the fact that the farmer dude thought he was some Disney Prince, August decided, if they really were trapped inside Echo's imagination as Lucy had implied, the woman had to be insane. Bonkers. Off her rocker. As Taryn would say, 'three fries short of a happy meal'.

"This is the most boring chase I have ever had the displeasure to witness." Hans complained, jerking August out of his thoughts and back to the present.

"Right. I should probably run." August stated before turning and fleeing.

Unfortunately, August's little daydreaming session had cost him valuable time. The cows were right on his heels as he tore through the field. Fortunately, they didn't seem to be very fast. August didn't think he could out run a real cow herd.

The cows also seemed to have little to no balance and were a little top heavy. Especially the ones with horns on their heads. They kept tripping over themselves and running into each other which only slowed them down more. August was in no way complaining. It gave him just enough of a advantage to stay ahead of them and not get killed.

August looked for any place to hide, but there was nothing but open field for miles. He wasn't sure he would be able to keep going that long. Who knows how long the cows could go before they tired out. August wasn't an athletic person. Jogging around his block had him winded and shaky. Forget several miles while full out running! He was going to die! If not from the cows them from pure exhaustion.

What felt like hours later but was maybe only fifteen minutes, August hadn't seen anything but fields. It was starting to get on his nerves. First he couldn't stay on one place for longer than a minute, and now he couldn't seem to escape this one. What was holding him here?

Up ahead, in the distance, August caught sight of a figure. He couldn't tell from this far away who it was, but it was definitely a person. Maybe they could help! Or maybe he was running in circles again and it was Hans.

'Only one way to find out.' August thought to himself, adjusting his course so he was running in the direction of the figure. The only thing he could really do was hope and pray that the person was friendly, and hopefully helpful. If he were lucky, they would know a thing or two about cows and how to stop them when they went on a rampage.

As he drew nearer, August could start to make out more details. The person was definitely a girl. She had long, dark hair that cascaded down around her shoulders. She wore tattered, blue jeans; an old, faded, red t-shirt with a black jacket over it and black and pink sneakers adorned her feet.

Once he was close enough, August was able to make out her facial features and he was met by the shock of his life. He stumbled to a halt, his eyes fixed on her.

It was Taryn! She was alive and seemed to be perfectly fine.

* * *

**Taryn's POV**

I walked for what felt like ages! All I could see in any direction was more field. I was quickly growing tired of the color green. I really wanted to light a match and set the entire thing ablaze. Then maybe I'd be able to burn my way out of this stupid field. Dumb idea, I know. But fire would have been so much more entertaining then the still, green grass. There weren't even any birds or bugs. The place was eerily silent. There wasn't even any wind.

Off in the distance, I heard what sounded like thunder rolling in. I looked to the sky but there was not a cloud a cloud to be seen. Frowning, I stopped walking and tilted my head to the side, trying to figure where and what that sound was.

It seemed to be getting closer. Whatever it was, it didn't sound friendly. I resumed my walking in the direction of the sound. Probably not my best idea, but curiosity had gotten the better of me. I wasn't one to let a mystery go unsolved.

As I walked, the sound continued to grow louder. All I could think was thunder, but it was a constant sound, so I knew that couldn't be it. 'But what else could it be?'

It wasn't until I turned and saw the person come into view that my question was answered. Because, following right on the persons heels was a massive pack of animals.

I stood there, staring at the scene before me in shock. What the heck was going on?

As they drew closer, my heart continued to pound faster. First of all, I could now clearly tell that the animals were a herd over-sized cows and the boy they were chasing, was August.

"What in the world did he get himself into this time?" I asked aloud as the approached.

I know what you're thinking. "Why isn't she running for her life? Why does she continue to stand there like an idiot?" Well, first of all, the shock of it all was a little overwhelming. Second of all, the excitement and fear I felt when I saw that it was August kept me from running. I couldn't just leave him to fend for himself! The poor guy looked exhausted! I wondered just how long he had been running.

Once he was only a few feet away, August stumbled to halt. His eyes grew wide as dinner plates, and he stared at me as if I'd come back from the dead. For a moment, I wondered just how bad I must really look. I had just been through a traumatic few hours. I was entitled to a little messy hair.

"T-Taryn?" August stuttered out. "You're alive?"

"Duh!" I replied with an eye roll. "But we won't be for long if we don't get out of here." I motioned back towards the approaching herd of demonic cows and August nodded his head.

"Right. We should probably run." He said.

"Brilliant idea!" I replied somewhat sarcastically. "Shall we?" I grabbed his hand and together, we tore off through the open field, the cows right on our tails.

* * *

Did I mention I was seriously starting to hate the color green? August and I ran for what seemed like ages. Maybe it was. Maybe time passed differently here and we had been running for years. I shuddered at the thought. Yeah, let's stick with ten minutes. That sounds so much better and so much less exhausting!

"W-where a-are we g-going?" August panted, doing his best to keep up with me. He never was the best runner.

"I don't know about you, but I'm heading in any direction those cows aren't." I shot back in between gasps of breath.

"Man," August groaned. "This lady's imagination sucks!"

"Say what?" I questioned. His statement catching me off guard. What did he mean by the 'lady's imagination?'

August didn't responded. I doubted he had enough breath to do it. Turning to look behind us, I saw the herd growing steadily closer. We were never going to be able to outrun them.

"We're going to have to make a stand." I announced.

August turned to look at me with an expression that clearly said 'You're insane!' Which I was. I wasn't about to argue with him. I just didn't see any other way.

Reaching into my pockets, I was hoping to find something useful that might help us with this crazy idea. The only things I came up with were a few nickels, a stick of gum, and an old, smashed up packet of peanut butter crackers. Nothing that seemed incredibly useful. I saw August do the same, but all he came up with was a dirty tissue, and his phone. The phone would be no help to us. The iPhone's screen was so cracked, he couldn't even get the thing unlocked. The phone was splattered with blood from his encounter on the cursed ledge. So the phone was out of the question, and I doubted the tissue would be of much help.

August shrugged, looking down at the tissue in his hand as we ran. "Who knows, maybe the cows are squeamish. Or maybe they're all germaphobes."

"What's the harm in trying, I always say." I said, glancing back at the herd. "Maybe we'll get lucky."

August tossed the tissue back behind him and I watched as the cows approached it. Not one of them even gave it a sideways glance. The tissue was trampled into dust as the entire herd charged over it.

"Well, that worked." I grumbled sarcastically. "Any other bright ideas?"

"Sorry, I'm all out." August panted.

"This is so frustrating!" I shouted. All I could see still was more field. There had to be something somewhere right? I mean we couldn't jus keep running forever without seeing the end. Could we?

I slid to a halt and turned to face the oncoming herd. August shouted in surprise and hit the brakes.

"Taryn! What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" He yelled at me.

I turned my head to face him. "I haven't been killed yet, have I?" I smirked.

"According to the cow earlier, you have. So I suggest, we get out of here." He responded urgently.

"Wait a minute. You were talking to these demonic things? Why didn't they kill you then?" I demanded.

August shrugged. "I don't know. The cow I was talking to actually seemed pretty nice. Up until the crazy farmer showed up, claiming to be Prince Hans. You know, from the movie Frozen? He's controlling their minds somehow. He's the one making them go crazy."

"Prince Hans? Are you serious?" I asked. The curse had been made up of all the older fairytales. I don't remember doing any of the newer ones. That just helped confirm that we were in a much more sinister place than the curse.

"Yeah, he was a little off his rocker." August muttered.

"Well..." I trailed off, shrugging slightly.

"You're not saying you believe him!" August said with wide, disbelieving eyes.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I turned to face the oncoming herd. My fingers clenched around the peanut butter crackers as I watched them approach. I don't know why. It wasn't like they were going to help, but it was all I had.

August continued to shake his head and tell me what a nut-case I was. Honestly, it was starting to get annoying. I had to keep reminding myself that he no longer remembered that I was a complete idiot when it came to these types of things. I was going to have to get him used to my hair-brained ideas all over again.

The cows continued to come closer. For a minute, I really wasn't sure what I was doing. August was dancing on the balls of his feet nervously as I fingered the crackers in my hand. It really wasn't much of a plan. I was about to attempt to stop an entire herd from trampling us and all I had was a packet of now crushed peanut butter crackers, an overly terrified boy, and my frightening appearance.

I doubted it would be enough, but I went with it. I had to do something. We couldn't just keep running forever!

So when the angry herd got close enough, I gathered up all of my courage and anger that I felt toward Isis and her sister, and let out an ear-splitting, "STOP!"

I closed my eyes and held my breath in anticipation. I could hear August behind me let out a terrified squeal, which I made a mental note to tease him about later, and grip onto my arm.

To my surprise, the blow never came. When I opened my eyes several moments later, the cows were standing in a circle around us. Each of their blood-red eyes were focused on us.

"Hi." I greeted with a slight wave. August was still clutching my arm, though I doubt he realized it.

They snorted in unison which created this really loud and obnoxious sound. It took everything I had not to laugh at them.

"How's your day been?" I asked casually.

None of the cows replied.

"Well, it was lovely talking to you." I took August's hand in mine and turned in a circle, trying to find a way out. There was none. We were trapped. "We really should be going now."

The cows only moved closer together.

I let out a frustrated groan and threw my hands in the air. "What? Are you just going to stand there and stare at us?"

"Don't agitate them, Taryn." August whispered urgently to me.

"Shut up, August." I snapped back at him.

"Umm, Taryn?" August said tentatively.

"What?" I bit back, turning to face him.

August's eyes were wide as he stared out at the herd of cows. Slowly, I faced the cows again. All of their heads were tilted up and their eyes had dulled to a darker red, almost back to the black they used to be. Frowning, I followed their line of vision to my hand which was still raised in the air. One of the cracker pieces had punctured the plastic wrapper and they were starting to come out.

"What are they staring at?" August asked slowly.

"I think it's the crackers." I answered, though I didn't sound convinced.

To test my theory, I slowly started moving my arm from side to side like I was swaying to the beat of a song. The cows' eyes stayed glued to my hand as their heads turned in unison with my arm.

"Really? The crackers?" August asked in a disbelieving voice, standing up straight and cocking his head in confusion.

I shrugged, still waving my arm in the air. "I guess they just really like peanut butter."

"Will they do what you ask?" August ventured.

"Pat you're heads and rub your bellies." I commanded.

For a moment, they all looked confused as they tried to figure out my request. Suddenly, one of the larger cows lifted one of its back legs and scratched its stomach while tilting his head back and slapping his tail against his head. Once he started, all the cows joined in, scratching their stomachs and slapping their heads. Several of them lost their balance and toppled over. But they always scrambled back up and continued the charade.

August and I watched for a moment with wide eyes. Slowly, we turned to look at each other and then burst out laughing. We were laughing so hard, we could barely stand. When August placed a hand on my shoulder to steady himself, we ended up toppling over.

"Stop it! Stop it!" I shouted in between my laughter.

The cows immediately responded, dropping their feet to the ground and lowering their heads to look at me again.

After another few minutes, August and I were able to regain our composures. I got to my feet and reached a hand out to help August to his feet.

"That was priceless." August said, wiping his eyes.

"Oh my gosh!" I gasped, still trying to control my giggles. "That was the best thing I've ever seen!" I turned to face the cows.

"Agreed." August nodded. "That had to be the funniest thing I've ever seen in my entire life!"

Time seemed to slow down as I watched August. He was grinning from ear to ear and his eyes were sparkling with laughter. The little crinkles under his eyes had returned. The ones he got whenever he was genuinely smiling. I could always tell if he was ever faking a smile, because the little crinkles under his eyes wouldn't be there. I had missed this side of him so much! I didn't even realize how much I had needed it until it was right there in front of me.

I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and hold him tight, but I knew I couldn't do that. Not anymore. I couldn't help but think that maybe the curse really had fabricated his feelings toward me. Or maybe he had been playing me the entire time and now that his memory was gone, the charade had dropped.

I pushed those thoughts from my mind. They were too painful to think about. Our love had to have been real. Right? Something like that just couldn't be made up.

'Stay on track, Taryn! You have a job to do.' The little voice in my head scolded me.

"Right." I said aloud, shaking my head slightly. "I suppose we should get down to business here." I turned to face the cows once again. "Take us to your leader."

None of them moved. They all just stared at me with blank expressions.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "The farmer. Take me to the farmer."

"Food." One of the cows bellowed out.

It was my turn to frown in confusion. "Sorry?"

"Food." It repeated. Several of the other cows started to join in the chant. "Food. Food. Food." It sounded like some crazy zombie movie.

"Alright, don't go getting your tail in a knot." I huffed. "You can have the food as soon as you take us back to the farmer. There are a few things we'd like to say to him."

The cows shared a look before collectively turning to their right and tromping back in the direction we'd came from.

"I guess that's our cue." August shrugged, starting after the moving herd.

I sighed. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

The walk back didn't seem to take nearly as long as the run had. Maybe time moved differently here. Wherever here was. Earlier, August had said something about a lady's imagination. I wasn't sure what it had meant at the time, but I was starting to get a pretty good idea, and I didn't like it. I was going to have to ask him about it later. For now, I had to stay focused on the task at hand.

The cows had just led us up to an old, rundown farmhouse. There was a single light on inside and I could see a shadow of a man walking around inside.

We stopped and the cows turned to me expectantly. "Food."

"Right, of course." I unwrapped the crackers fully and tossed them to the herd. All the cows charged at once, trying to be the first to grab the three crackers. August and I quickly scrambled out of the way, avoiding a collision with the large animals.

"Now what?" August asked as he watched the cows beat each other up for a peanut butter cracker.

"Now," I replied. "We go have a little chat with our dear, Prince Hans."

* * *

The door swung open before I could even knock. That was the first sign that something was wrong. The second, was the fact that Hans knew both of our names.

"Welcome, to my humble abode." Hans' voice echoed through the bare halls, making it difficult to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. "Taryn, August, why don't you join me?" A single light appeared in the dark house, in a hallway off to my right.

"This is like, horror movie material." August stated as he took in the interior of the farmhouse.

The place was rather large. It didn't look that big from the outside, but inside was massive. When we first walked in, we were greeted with a chandelier, hanging from the ceiling above us. The thing was coated in spiderwebs and I doubted any of the lights really worked. The entry way split off into two separate halls, one to the left and one to the right. One was dark as night and the other had an eerie light shining at the end of it. The cold draft didn't help my nerves any either.

"Well, its your choice I guess." I told August. "Dark, creepy hallway, or creepy hallway with a light at the end?"

"Neither? Can we go back now?" August turned to open the front door, but it was locked. He tried the lock, but it was too rusted to turn. We were trapped. "I guess we go with the lighted hall. At least we can see if anything jumps out at us."

"Oh, thanks for that. I really needed that mental image. Thank you. It's not like my mind isn't already racing a million miles a minute with every horrible thing that could be waiting for us down that hall."

"You're welcome." August smirked.

I couldn't help but smile. It had been too long since I'd seen that smirk and heard him throw insults at me. It felt nice to have the old August back, even just for a minute.

"Ladies first." August said, motioning me forward.

"Yeah, in your dreams, Pal." I scoffed. "There is no way I'm going down that hall first."

"What? Are you chicken?" August teased.

"Shut up and walk." I rolled my eyes, doing my best to hide the grin. It was nice having him tease me again. I'd missed that.

August stretched out his hand for me to take. "Together?"

I smiled and took it. "Together."

"I didn't really picture Hans as a creepy sort of guy." August pointed out as we made our way slowly down the hall.

"I suppose anything can happen here. Even the most pathetic villians can have the creepiest of lairs." I said, inching a little closer to August.

"I guess." August said though he sounded just as scared as I was. "I just wish this lady didn't have such a vivid imagination."

"You said something about that earlier too." I said, stopping and turning to look at him. "What does that mean exactly?"

"You don't know?"

I shook my head.

"Oh." He frowned. "I guess I just assumed you knew. Especially since you've apparently been through something like this before."

"Wait a minute. You know about the Curse?" I ventured.

The look of confusion on his face answered my question. I let out a sigh of relief.

"I have no idea what the curse is. I just know that Lucy told me, you and I apparently, went through something similar." August clarified.

"Got it." I took a second to regain my composer. "So where are we exactly? You said you knew?" I asked, changing the subject.

"According to Lucy, the cow, we're inside some lady's imagination. The people here call it The Land of Imagination. Or Echo Land. Whichever you prefer. Apparently, Echo is the sister to someone called Isis and Colton. She's supposed to be a bigger threat then both of them combined."

"Echo." I breathed. "So that's her name. Good. I was getting tired of called her 'Isis' sister'." We both started walking again and I was very aware of the fact that he was still holding my hand.

"So," August started carefully, like he was afraid to ask the question. "Who is this Isis person and what's this thing that people keep talking about?"

I stumbled. That was the question I had been dreading the most. I wasn't even sure why I was reluctant to tell him. Giving him the knowledge would help him survive in this world, but it would also mean breaking down mine. Maybe I was just being selfish, but talking about what happened in the curse brought up too many painful memories. Knowing that August no longer loved me the same way I loved him just proved that what we had in the curse was all fabricated. None of it was real. I didn't blame August. This wasn't his fault. I just wish it didn't have to be this way.I wish we could go back to the way things were. Heck, I would even voluntarily go back into the curse if it meant escaping this nightmare.

I sighed. I couldn't just keep him in the dark though. I had to tell him sometime. Might as well be now. I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of someone speaking. His voice bounced off the walls through the hall, making it impossible to tell where it was coming from.

"So good of you to join me." Hans laughed. "We're going to have such a splendid time." Up ahead, a door swung open on its hinges, revealing a dimly lit room."

"Well, here goes nothing." I took a deep breath before striding into the room, making sure August's hand was still gripped in mine.

Once we had entered, the door slammed shut behind us and I heard the distinct click of the bolt as it locked us in.

"Taryn!" Hans greeted a little too cheerfully. He stepped out from the shadows and gave us an eery grin. "I heard you wanted to see me."


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry this one is late! I'll do my best to get the next chapter up sooner. For now enjoy!**

* * *

**Taryn's POV**

First the cows then the horror movie house and now this? Could this day get any worse? Like seriously, how deranged was Echo's mind?

Hans crossed the room in three strides. He was a lot taller up close. He had to be a good six feet tall. I suddenly felt incredibly small. He was well muscled and I could tell that if it came down to a fight, he would have the advantage. Even with the two of us, we wouldn't stand a chance.

In the movie, Hans hadn't looked all that great. I mean the cartoon character was scrawny compared to other characters like Kristoff, while this Hans clearly spent a lot of time at the gym. I gulped down my fear and met the Prince's eyes dead on. I couldn't let him see my fear. It would only give him more of an advantage. I could see August out of the corner of my eye doing the same. His grip on my hand was unnaturally tight, telling me that he was still scared, but just looking at his face you would never know.

Hans circled us like a vulture eyeing up its next meal. It gave me the creeps. I carefully followed his movement. Turning with him so that my back was never to him. I wanted to be able to see him at all times. I in no way trusted this man.

Hans' eyes dropped down to our linked hands and a nasty grin split across his face. "Reunited at last." He chuckled.

August frowned in confusion, clearly not understanding what Hans was talking about.

"Ah, but lover boy doesn't remember, does he?" He turned to me with a smirk. "It must be hard, living with the knowledge that it will never be the same. Tell me. Does it keep you up at night? The memories of those days spent in paradise together? Does it kill you knowing that you'll never get them back? That the feelings you shared were only there because of your family's curse?"

"Shut up." I growled at him, my hold on August's hand tightening. "First of all, Genius, it was no paradise. Every moment in the curse was spent fighting for our lives. I don't know about you, but that is not what I picture when I think of paradise. Second of all, keep your nose out of other people's business. You know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat. I would be careful which questions I threw out there if I were you."

Hans actually had the nerve to laugh in my face. "Now you're threatening me? My, Taryn, you really are as feisty as they say."

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" I said, doing my best to avoid looking at August, though I could feel his eyes burning a hole through my skull. "How do we get out of here?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean?" Hans said innocently, still wearing that stupid grin.

"You know perfectly well what I mean." I bit back at him. "How do we find our way out of these fields?"

"You don't." Hans said simply. "Echo decides when and where you go. She's obviously decided to make you stay here with me for a little while. You'll leave when she wants you to leave. So why not make the best of it?" Hans clapped his hands excitedly. "Let's have a little fun. Unlike the curse, there are no rules here. Anything can happen."

"You know what? That sounds lovely, but we really don't have time to stick around. Things to do, places to go, people to see. You know how it is." I told him with a shrug, backing up toward the door. "Maybe we'll catch you later." I reached back and tried the door handle but it was still locked. My eyes scanned the room but there was escape. There weren't even any windows to jump out of. We were trapped.

"I don't think so." Hans sneered. "Why don't you stick around a while?" Suddenly, the door opened and two large men with ski masks over their faces entered and grabbed ahold of both August and I, ripping us apart. "Now, which one wants to play first?"

* * *

The giant man holding August, dragged him out of the room. August fought him the entire way, but he was no match for the large man. His eyes met mine right before the door slammed shut again. His green eyes were wide and full of fear. My heart broke at the sight and it was then that I vowed to get us both out of there . . . alive.

Once the door had slammed shut, I turned to face Hans, yanking my arm out of the burly man's grip. "What do you think you're doing?" I demanded. "Where is he taking August?"

Hans only grinned that demonic grin of his. "Don't you worry now. Your little boyfriend will be just fine. Now you on the other hand. I wouldn't be so sure about."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him angrily.

"You see, Echo has complete control here. She decides where you go and when you go. She decides if you'll eat and drink, or if you'll go a few days without finding either. She decides whether you stay alive, or if you die, no matter what the situation." Hans reached down and opened the drawer to the brown desk sitting in front of me. He pulled out a large knife with a jagged edge and brought it up to his eye level. He eyed it carefully, almost lovingly. "Say, for example, someone were to do something horrible to you. Something that might kill you out in the real world. Echo would be able to decide if you lived or died. You could endure endless torture and never die if she chose it." He lifted his eyes to meet mine. The glimmer of excitement I saw there made him look all the more demonic and my heart started pounding so hard I feared it might explode. "Let's find out just how badly she wants you alive."

* * *

**August's POV**

The large man dragged August down the lit hallway and straight on through to the dark, sinister looking one. August fought him the entire way, but it was like beating up a brick wall. Pointless. The man stopped halfway down and yanked open a heavy, wooden door before throwing August inside and slamming it shut again. August scrambled to his feet and raced to the door. Before he could turn the handle though, he heard the distinct click of a lock. Sure enough, as soon as he tried to open the door, the handle wouldn't budge. He was locked in.

Fear ate at him as he pictured everything they might be doing to Taryn right then. His heart raced at thought of her coming to any harm.

The longer he was here, and the more people kept talking about this curse, the more things were starting to happen. Flashes, almost like memories, were starting to cross his mind. Things like, giant castles and flying monkeys. Things that made no sense to August at all. He had to wonder what had happened between the two of them.

August paced the room, looking for any way out of the room, but he couldn't find any. He was trapped inside a concrete cage. It was a good thing he wasn't claustrophobic.

The silence was driving him crazy. What was happening up there? What was the crazed man doing to Taryn? August honestly didn't believe things could get any worse. That's when the screaming started.

August's heart raced in fear when he heard the distinct sound of Taryn's shrill scream. She was in pain and he was trapped in this box. He wasn't thinking straight anymore as he raced around the room, hitting the walls and throwing himself against the door. Desperately trying to find a way out. The room seemed to be shrinking as he ran in circles. Somewhere deep down, August knew it was only his mind playing tricks on him, but all it did was increase his level of panic.

August spun at the sound of the door opening. A small blonde boy stood in the entrance, looking at August with wide, fear filled, blue eyes.

"August. Where is she?" He asked urgently.

August didn't even stop to think about the fact that this strange boy knew his name and apparently knew Taryn as well. The only thing he could think about then was saving her.

"All the way down the hall. Last door on your left." August replied, rushing for the door.

The boy nodded and disappeared back out into the hall. It didn't take much for August to catch up and it wasn't long before he had passed up the small blonde boy. August was running on pure adrenaline as he pushed open the door and raced into the room he had been dragged out of only a little while before.

In the middle of the room stood Hans, knife in hand and a deranged grin on his face. Lying at his feet was Taryn. Her bloodied image made August's heart drop. The boy behind him made a strangled sound from his throat as he took in the sight as well.

She seemed to have passed out. There was a small pool of blood by her head that seemed to slowly be growing. August had to get her out of there . . . now!

"Come to join the party have you?" Hans asked with a grin. He frowned when he saw the boy standing behind August. "Who are you?"

The boy just shrugged.

"Ah well, doesn't matter." He turned his face to look at Taryn's vulnerable form. "Pathetic. I really would have thought Echo would have kept her going just a little longer. I mean come on. We were just staring to have fun."

"Get away from her." August ground out as he stepped forward.

Hans lifted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." August told him, his voice barely more than a whisper. He barely sounded like himself. The voice coming from his mouth was low, deep and threatening. If August hadn't been the one talking, he would have been scared out of his mind.

"August, be careful." The blonde boy warned as he watched from the doorway.

August ignored him. His focus was entirely on Hans. "Don't make me mess up that pretty boy face of yours."

Hans actually looked a little frightened. Good. He should be.

"What are you going to do to me?" Hans tried to laugh it off, but August could still see the fear in his eyes.

"Do you really want to find out?" August asked dangerously.

Hans gulped. "I have a knife." He stated, holding up the blood stained knife as proof. "You've got nothing. What makes you think you could beat me?"

"I wouldn't push it, Big Shot." The blonde boy told Hans. "Never underestimate the power of an angry boyfriend."

August almost faltered there, but he was able to keep his cool and stay focused. He would question the blonde boy on that later.

Hans rolled his eyes. "They aren't together anymore." He sighed and pointed the knife at August. "Pretty boy here doesn't even remember what went on between the two of them."

The blonde boy frowned in confusion as he looked at August. He quickly regained his composure though and shook his head at Hans. "Look at him. Whether he remembers or not, he still looks ready to defend her with his life. I would suggest getting out of the way."

"Who are you anyway?" Hans asked, looking at the boy.

The boy smiled. "My mom always told me not to give my name away to strangers. It's not safe." He shrugged. "Maybe if we could catch a cup of coffee later and get to know each other, then I might give you my name." The boy smirked, clearly proud of himself for coming up with the comeback.

The sarcasm and sass was almost worthy of Taryn. It was almost scary how much that sounded like something Taryn would say. August had to wonder again just who this kid was.

"Are we done here?" Hans sighed. "Where are my men? Why have they not come to escort you two out yet?"

The boy did his best to look innocent as he said, "Your men are a bit tied up right now. It might be a while before they get here."

"What have you done with them?" Hans demanded.

The boy shrugged. "I didn't touch 'em.'" He turned to August. "Did you touch them?"

August shook his head, his eyes glued to Taryn's helpless form. "Haven't even seen them."

"There, you see? They must just be slacking." The boy stated.

Obviously, this wasn't the answer Hans was looking for. His face went red with anger and August could just see the steam billowing from his ears. "I suppose I will just have to take care of you myself." He spat.

The boy cringed in false sympathy. "Two against one. It doesn't sound good for you."

"You're forgetting," Hans sneered. "I have Echo on my side."

"And he's got me." The blonde boy stated just as confidently.

August turned and gave him a look that clearly stated, 'really? You really just said that?'

"And how does that help him?" Hans questioned.

"Yeah, how does that help me?" August agreed. "No offense, but Hans looks like he could easily take you."

The boy actually grinned. "I'm not supposed to be here."

August frowned in confusion while Hans' eyes grew wide with shock.

"Echo didn't let me in which means she has no control over what happens to me." His smile only grew as he spoke. He was obviously very proud of himself.

"You took out my guards, didn't you?" Hans asked, though August could tell he already knew the answer.

The boy only shrugged. "I guess you'll never know, will you?" He smirked.

"Who are you?" Hans asked, starting to sound a little nervous.

The boy chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, I'm a friend of Taryn's. Which means I'm not on your side. I suppose that would make me, your worst enemy."

August watched with wide, disbelieving eyes as the large, buff prince quivered in fear of the scrawny blonde boy. 'What in the world is going on?'

"Now," The boy said, pointing a finger at Hans. "I suggest you step away from the girl and let us take her out of here in peace."

August was surprised when Hans actually stood his ground. "I don't think so. I'm not going to let some scrawny kid tell me what to do."

The boy raised an eyebrow at the prince, making him falter. "Excuse me?" He took a step forward and Hans let out a pathetic whimper. "Leave." His voice was barely more than a whisper, but it sent the prince running for the hills.

August didn't wait to try and figure out what the heck had just happened. He was instantly kneeling next to Taryn's prone form. Her skin was so pale, August feared the worst. Thankfully, when he put his ear next to her mouth, he could hear her soft breathing and feel the heat of her breath on his skin. She was still alive, but they didn't have much time.

"Try not to jostle her too much." The boy warned as August stood and lifted her into his arms. "Now let's get out of here."

* * *

Once they left the house, the boy led August through the fields in what seemed to be no apparent direction. It wasn't long however before August started to notice the change in scenery. The boy was leading them out of there! August didn't know how, but somehow the small blonde boy had managed to lead them out of the fields and into a new land. August couldn't have been more grateful.

They had somehow gone from green fields, to a sandy beach. The water lapsed up against the shore lazily as several gulls flew overhead, calling out to fellow birds. There was a slight breeze but it was warm and comfortable.

"Why couldn't we have gotten stuck here?" August muttered. He looked back but there was no sign of the fields. It had just disappeared. Like it had never even been there.

August turned back around to find the boy watching him. "How did you do that? Get us out of there I mean."

The boy shrugged. "I'm not supposed to be here. Echo has no control over me." He motioned to the soft, sandy ground. "Lay her down carefully and let's see what we can do for her." He instructed.

August did as he was told, gently setting Taryn down on the ground. "But that's what I don't get. How do get into someone's imagination without their permission?"

"I had some help." Was the boy's simple response.

"Who are you?" August asked. He wasn't sure he could completely trust this boy. Who knew who he really was or what his real intentions were. For all August knew, he and Taryn could be in danger right now. Sure he didn't look like much with his scrawny arms and short stature, but this was some crazy lady's whacked up imagination. He could be a cold blooded killer for all August knew.

The boy gave a small smile. "Don't worry. I'm a friend." He assured. "The name's Alfie."


	10. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry you guys! I honestly meant to get this one up last Wed but things got a little crazy this week. I started my second job this week and I ended up getting really sick. So this chapter isn't very long but I wanted to get something out there for you :) **

**August's POV**

August had no idea what to make of the situation. This strange boy, Alfie, seemed to know so much more than he should. Just who was he anyway? And how in the world did he get here? He kept saying that he wasn't supposed here. What the heck did that mean? And how was that supposed to help them?

Alfie certainly seemed to know them. Well at least he knew Taryn. Most of his time was spent kneeling next to her, caring for her wounds and doing his best to keep the fever that had raged up that night, down. It made August uncomfortable. There were so many things he wanted to ask the boy, but he didn't know if he could trust him.

It wasn't until the next evening that August finally started to believe that Alfie might be on their side.

August had been out gathering more driftwood. As he approached the camp again, he overheard Alfie talking to Taryn's sleeping form. Out of curiosity, August stopped and listened.

Alfie's voice was soft and full of emotion as he reminisced. "Remember when I first got there? You were so mad. I remember watching your face go red with anger and then you just started yelling at the sky." He let out a soft chuckle. "I thought you were completely bonkers."

August hadn't noticed before, but listening to him now, August could hear Alfie had a British accent. It wasn't super thick, but it was definitely there.

"And then that time I had to fight that stupid dragon. I seriously thought I was going to die. If not from the dragon then from my own heart beating right out of my chest." He chuckled again as he dabbed Taryn's forehead with the slab of fabric that August had ripped from his shirt yesterday to use as a rag. "And then I came up to your room to find you had already woken up. You never told me how you had done it, but by the look on your face, I had a pretty good idea." He sighed. "Isis really underestimated the power of love. She didn't factor in the possibility of you two actually falling for each other."

August frowned. There was another guy? Was Taryn in love with someone else? Jealousy started bubbling up under his skin as the thought of someone else holding her and loving her flashed through his mind. It was stupid really. He hated her, she hated him. It had been that way since day one. So why were these thoughts coming on so strongly now? It was like his feelings had taken a major leap in the other direction. Instead of needing to be as far from her as possible, he couldn't be close enough. Instead of cringing at the sound of her voice, he relished the times he got to listen to her speak. Her laugh had become something he strived to hear. He would do anything to see hear her laugh or see her smile. It was all new to him and slightly frightening. But at the same time it almost felt familiar.

"I can't believe he doesn't remember." Alfie shook his head sorrowfully. "I can only imagine how that must feel. I'm so sorry, Taryn. I don't understand how anyone could do that to another person. It's just cruel. But I'm here now. I'm going to get you both out of here and then we'll figure this out together. I promise. You just have to stay with me long enough for me to fulfill that promise. You have to pull through this, Taryn. I know it's harder here, but you're strong. I know that for a fact. I've seen first hand what you can do. If you can survive fire-breathing dragons and monkey poison, you can pull through this." His blue eyes willed her to open her brown ones. "Besides, it's not just me who needs you to do this. I know another guy who would be devastated if you died. I'm not sure what he would do but I can guarantee that it wouldn't be good."

There it was again. The reference to the other guy. August could feel himself getting worked up and had to mentally tell himself to calm down before he did something stupid. He'd heard enough. He couldn't take this anymore. Making as much noise as possible, he approached the two of them.

Alfie whipped his head up and around to face August. When he saw that it was just him, he relaxed. "You scared me." He admitted, placing a hand over his heart.

"Sorry." August muttered angrily, not really meaning it.

Alfie frowned. "What's got you so upset?"

"Nothing." August bit back.

Alfie shrugged. "If you say so."

August only glared back. After a moment of silence, August motioned toward Taryn with a nod of his head. "How is she?"

Alfie shook his head. "No better. Her fever just won't go down. It's Echo. I know it is. I just don't know how to get around her in order to heal Taryn."

"How do you know Taryn?" August finally questioned, taking a seat next to the two of them.

The corner of Alfie's lips turned up into a small smile. "I know both of you actually. Granted, I knew Taryn better, but you always seemed like a pretty cool guy."

"That doesn't answer my question." August pointed out.

Alfie sighed. "It's a long story."

"We've got the time."

Alfie frowned. "Has Taryn told you anything about what happened before? Has she told you about the curse?"

August shook his head. "Everyone keeps referencing this curse, but I have no idea what their talking about. Just what happened? And what was the curse."

"Look, if Taryn hasn't said anything to you yet, maybe I shouldn't either." Alfie's voice sounded unsure as he glanced up at August.

"If someone doesn't start giving me some answers soon I'm going to go insane!" August groaned in frustration.

Alfie sighed. "Are you really sure you want answers?" He asked, finally meeting August's eyes. "Once you know, things will never be the same for you. It may even make things more difficult for you in here until we get you out."

"I need to know." August insisted.

"Fine." Alfie sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I have to warn you. I'm not nearly as good at this whole story telling thing as Taryn is."

"Do I look like I care?" August rolled his eyes. "Just tell the story."

"Alright. Here it goes." Alfie took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak but before he could get any words out several things happened at once.

What once was a beautiful blue sky turned a dark, nasty grey. Rain pelted down, instantly soaking them and lightning lit up the sky. The waves grew to gigantic sizes. August and Alfie had to drag Taryn back a few feet to avoid the water.

Taryn started moaning and rocking her head back and forth as if she were in pain. And to top it all off, a loud, sinister voice echoed above all the other sounds. August recognized it as Echo's voice only much angrier. It repeated one phrase: Get out.

"What's going on?" August shouted over the noise.

Alfie's eyes were wide with fear as he looked around. "It's me. She knows I'm here and she's not happy about it!" He shouted in response.

"What can we do to stop this?" August carefully pulled Taryn back a few more feet as the water levels continued to rise.

"It probably won't stop until I leave!" Alfie called back.

"Look I don't mean to sound rude here but . . . What are you still doing here?!"

Alfie nodded. "Right. I'll be back! I'm not going to let you two stay here forever!" He cringed as another bolt of lightening struck dangerously close. "Take care of her! Keep both of you alive until I get back!" Alfie instructed before disappearing.

As soon as he was gone, the storm let up. The waves died down to their normal rhythm, the clouds broke apart until there was only blue sky and the voice disappeared.

August looked down to find Taryn resting almost peacefully. "What is going on here?"

* * *

"What are you going to do?" Isis asked, her voice skeptical. "What if I decide I don't want to keep helping you and I pull him right back out? What will you do then?"

Dixie raised an eyebrow. "You know perfectly well what I could do to you. Since the curse, things have been . . . different. I'm not the useless little girl I used to be. But you already knew that. Didn't you?"

Isis faltered. "You couldn't stop me though. If I decided I didn't want to risk my life anymore, I could pull him right out." She scoffed. "I don't have to risk my life for you ingrates."

Dixie let out a mocking laugh. "Unfortunately for you, you're already neck deep in this mess. If you don't help us through this, we all get killed. You know what Echo would do to us if she found out what was going on. Right now, she's oblivious to who's doing this. You pull Alfie out and our whole operation will be exposed. The wall will crash down and she'll be able to tell exactly who did this to her. Do you really want that to happen?"

Isis sighed. "Why'd I ever let you talk me into this in the first place?"

"You didn't have much of a choice." Dixie pointed out.

Alfie suddenly appeared next to the two bickering women. He was soaked to the bone, his hair was a mess and his blue eyes were wide with fear. Something was off though. He seemed to be slightly transparent.

"What are you doing here?" Dixie asked in shock. She turned and gave Isis an accusing look.

Isis through her hands up in innocence. "I didn't do anything. I didn't bring him back."

Alfie shook his head. "I'm not really here. I'm kind of in between worlds right now."

"Why?" Dixie frowned. "What's happening?" Her voice filled with concern.

"We have a problem."

Alfie quickly filled them both in on what was happening. By the end of the story, Dixie was chewing on her fingernails and shaking her head. "Please tell me she's alive." She breathed.

"When I left she was." Alfie nodded. "Once things die down a bit here, I'll head back in. Until then, we need a better plan to get them out. Echo has a much stronger hold on them then we first assumed."

Isis rubbed on her forehead as if she had a bad headache. "It won't be easy. No one's ever escaped Echo's grasp. No one's even ever tried."

Alfie shrugged. "In the words of Taryn, there's a first for everything."

Dixie cracked a smile. "I miss her sarcastic remarks and sassy comebacks. We have to get them out of there. Alive." She added. "At least they have each other. I can sleep a little better because of that. Together those two are unstoppable. And they'll keep each others spirits bright."

Alfie cringed. "About that. There's one more thing I have to tell you."

"What?" Both Isis and Dixie asked at the same time.

"August doesn't remember a thing. He has no idea what the curse is and his feelings for Taryn seem to be nonexistent."

"Ooh," Isis faked remorse as she said, "didn't I mention that bit? My bad."

Dixie looked like she'd been hit by a truck. "Wait a minute!" She spun on Isis. "You knew about this?"

"Yeah. The morning things went haywire, Taryn called me up and we tracked down August at the train station. It was there that we figured it out." She frowned as she tried to remember what happened next. "After that, we went our separate ways. It must have been afterwards that Echo took them."

"Thanks for telling us." Dixie bit out sarcastically. "So much for sleeping at night." She turned back to Alfie. "How's she taking it?"

Alfie shrugged. "I never got the chance to talk to her. By the time I got there she was already being tortured."

"Well get back in there and make sure they're ok. Just don't stay so long this time." Dixie instructed. "Never stay longer than a day. We don't want Echo catching on."

Alfie nodded in understanding. "I'll be back." With that, his form flickered like a holographic image and then disappeared.

Dixie turned to Isis again. "Let's go. We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

**Maybe leave a review? Let me know what you think of this story. If you like it or have any suggestions let me know! Love you all! 3**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N hey guys! Sorry this one took longer to get out! The next one should be coming sooner though! I'll be stuck in the car for 10 hours tomorrow so I'm hoping to get a lot written! ㈴2 anyway! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Taryn's POV**

I had to be dreaming. For one thing, I seemed to be in some sort of dark room. On one wall was like a giant window and through that window, I could see myself, lying on the ground at a beach. For another thing, and this is where it gets weird, not only was August there, but Alfie too. He was kneeling next to me, gently padding my forehead with what looked like part of August's shirt.

That was ridiculous though. Alfie was dead. He had died saving us. He was a hero no doubt, but he was gone. He couldn't be here with us. Could he?

He and August seemed to be in some sort of heated discussion. At least, August looked heated. Alfie looked reluctant. Maybe even a little nervous.

"Who is he?" I wasn't even surprised when I heard her. Visits like this during dreams happened all the time during the curse. I always just expected them. Even after we had escaped.

I turned to find Echo standing beside me. Her eyes were narrowed and trained on Alfie. Her light brown hair had magically grown a few inches and was neatly braided down her back. The tight, black jeans and red leather jacket only made her seem more intimidating.

I shrugged. "Who cares? It's not real anyway. I'm dreaming."

"Yes, you are dreaming." Echo said, never taking her eyes off Alfie. "That doesn't mean all of this is fake. Didn't you learn anything from my sister and the curse? Your dreams were the times when you gained the most information. You didn't believe it was fake then."

"That's true, but this can't be real." I said, also staring at Alfie now.

"And why's that?" She sounded bored, like she didn't have the patience for this.

I told her anyway.

"He's dead."

"Well obviously not. He's standing right there." She extended her hand in Alfie's direction. Her tone implied that I was a nutcase.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not blind. I can see that he's right there, he just shouldn't be."

"You're right. He shouldn't be here." Echo's voice grew dark and dangerous. "I think it's time to get rid of him."

I watched in horror as the blue skies suddenly turned dark and the ocean's waves crashed mercilessly against the shore. Alfie and August quickly pulled my passed out form a few feet back to avoid the water. Rain pelted down on them and lightning lit up the skies. Echo then started speaking.

"Get out!" She shouted repeatedly.

_Original_. I thought sarcastically before spinning on Echo. "Stop it! What are you doing? Stop it!"_ Wow really, Taryn? That's all you got?'_ I rolled my eyes at myself. I was losing my touch.

Before I could say another word however, she stopped. _Alrighty then. Whatever works I guess._

I turned back towards the scene. The storm had disappeared and the blue sky had returned. The waves had settled down to their normal rhythm. Something was wrong though. Alfie was gone.

"What did you do with him?" I demanded, spinning back to glare at Echo. Bring him back right now!"

Echo shrugged while a smirk played across her lips. "I suppose he simply decided to behave himself and do as he was told."

"Well tell him to come back!" I demanded.

"And why would I do that?" Echo asked.

"Good point. Let us go instead and we'll meet him out there." I nodded. "That's a much better idea."

Echo laughed. "Nice try. I think you've waited around long enough. Get lost! I have a few more surprises in store for you." With a wave of her hand, the room disappeared.

* * *

When I was finally able to open my eyes again I found myself back in my own body. Thankfully that meant that I was back to reality. Unfortunately that also meant that the pain was back.

A small groan of pain escaped my lips as I fought to sit up. I didn't see August anywhere and that frightened me a little. What if Echo had done something to him? What if she'd taken him while I was asleep? What if I never saw him again?

My fears were shot down though moments later when August emerged from the tree line (which I could have sworn hadn't been there before) carrying a dead bird of some sort in one hand and a handful of berries in the other which he was slowly eating.

He didn't notice me at first. August shuffled over to the small fire he had made and place the bird beside it and then stuffed the rest of the berries into his mouth. He looked down at his hand for a moment before shrugging and wiping it on his shirt, leaving a red stain on his grey t-shirt.

I tried to stifle the giggle, but in the process, it came out as more of a snort.

August turned toward me so fast that he lost balance and toppled to the ground. He quickly scrambled to his knees and looked at me with wide eyes. It looked as if tears were forming in the corner of his bright green eyes.

Before I knew what was happening, August had tackled me in a hug. Even though the pain killed from the pressure, I let out a small laugh and wrapped my arms around his waist, holding him close for as long as I could, breathing in the familiar scent and just taking him in.

August buried his face in my tangled hair and whispered, "I thought I'd lost you."

His comment caught me off guard and it took me a moment to reply. "It'll take more than that to get rid of me." I replied.

To my great disappointment, August released me and backed up. The look on his face was unreadable. I had absolutely no idea what was going through his head.

A crooked smile slowly formed on his lips. He just sat, with a stupid, beautiful grin on his face. His eyes glued to my face.

"What?" I asked, checking myself over. "Do I really look that bad? I nearly died. I think I have a right to look a little grungy."

August shook his head. "It's nothing." Though he was still grinning like a fool.

"Right." I said in disbelief. "Nothing. Clearly it's just nothing." I smirked and went to punch him playfully in the arm. The movement caused a fire to erupt across my side and abdomen. At least that's how it felt. I sucked in a sharp breath and doubled over in pain.

August's smile vanished and I felt his hands on my shoulders. "Taryn?" He questioned.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." I said through labored breaths.

August frowned. "No you're not." Slowly and gently, his hands guided me into more of a seated position. His eyes met mine and the worry and pure emotion there took my breath away. "Let me see it."

I frowned and cocked my head. "See what?"

"He was standing over you with a bloody knife when we found you. I know he cut you. I want to see where." When I tried protesting, he simply shook his head. "Taryn, your wounds need to be addressed. You can't just let them go like this. I know that's what's giving you so much pain. If we don't do something about it, they'll get infected and you could die...again."

I sighed and closed my eyes. "Fine. But you have to promise not to freak out."

"Deal." August agreed.

I opened my eyes and met his. Slowly, I turned my back toward him and lifted my shirt so he could see the large gashes in my skin. I heard him gasp in shock at what he saw. Obviously I had never seen them, but if they looked as bad as they felt then it was pretty bad.

"That's not all." I turned to face him again and showed him the gashes on my stomach. They ran from just below my rib cage down to my lower stomach. None of them were bleeding anymore, but they all were disgusting and inflamed. In the middle of my stomach was a large, purple bruise from where he'd punched me several times.

Reaching up, I parted my hair just above my left ear. There was a cut there as well from when Hans had hit me over the head, knocking me unconscious.

When I met August's eyes again, they were wide in shock and I saw anger brimming. His hand shook as he slowly reached up and cupped the side of my face with his hand. He gently rubbed his thumb against the wound, causing me to wince. I didn't pull away though. I closed my eyes and unconsciously leaned into his touch.

August immediately responded, just like he used to, pulling me into his arms. He carefully lifted me into his lap and wrapped his strong, protective arms around my shoulders, careful not to touch any of my wounds. I nestled into him, resting my head against his chest and closed my eyes. It was the safest I had felt in a long time and I never wanted it to end.

* * *

Like all good things, the moment ended too quickly. August carefully dressed my wounds and then left to find something for us to eat. Somewhere in the span of time we had been talking, the woods had disappeared again, so August started combing the beach for anything edible.

I sat there, a little numb to be honest. I wasn't sure how to feel. August hated me. At least that's what I had assumed. But just then, it actually felt like he might still love me. Was there a chance that his feelings for me still existed?

"That was adorable." A voice behind me sighed. "Ah, love."

I turned as fast as my body would allow. Tears filled my eyes when I saw who it was. "Alfie." My voice wouldn't reach above a whisper. I hadn't been dreaming it up. Alfie really was here.

"Hey, Taryn." He smiled down at me.

I struggled to get to my feet but Alfie quickly shook his head and ran over. "No, don't get up. You'll just hurt yourself."

While he was within reach, I grabbed him around the neck and pulled him into a bone rushing hug, ignoring the pain. "You're alive!" I cried before pushing him away so I could look him in the eyes. "Why are you alive?"

Alfie laughed and shrugged. "I have no idea, but I wouldn't question it too much."

He was shocked when I suddenly struck out and punched him in the arm. "You are such an idiot!" I yelled at him.

"How am I an idiot?" Alfie asked, rubbing his arm.

"Why would you do something as stupid as sacrifice yourself? You know how hard it was for me afterwards? I'd lost my little brother and it killed me!"

"You think of me as your little brother?" Alfie asked, avoiding my other question.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Of course! You're my annoying little brother. Now answer the other question!"

He shrugged. "It was either me or you, and I was already dying so..." He trailed off.

Instead of saying anything, I simply wrapped him in another hug. "I'm just glad you're back."

"Me too, Taryn. Me too."

"Well, isn't this cute?" August's bitter voice cut through the silence causing both Alfie and I to jump apart.

"You scared me." I stated, planting a hand over my heart. I smiled up at him until I realized he didn't look happy at all.

August scowled down at us. He shot Alfie a glare before turning on his heels and marching away.

"Someone's grouchy." Alfie stated, watching August leave.

I frowned and pushed myself to my feet, wincing as I did.

"Taryn, what are you doing?" Alfie asked, jumping to his feet as well.

"I can't just let him walk away!" I said determinedly as I took off after August.

* * *

It took a minute for me to catch up because I was limping so much. When I did, August had his back to me. His eyes were trained stubbornly out over the water. I could see the tension in his shoulders and I wished desperately for the times when we could have worked these problems out together.

"You shouldn't be walking around. You'll only hurt yourself." August said without turning around.

I shrugged. "I'm a rebel. It's what I do." I waited for some sort of reaction, but nothing came.

I sighed deeply before limping around so I could face August. "Look, I don't know what's bothering you, but it's got you pretty worked up. So you either tell what it is so I can help or you get over it because I don't need your head up in the clouds right now. I need you here, with me. I'm never going to make it out of here on my own, especially now."

August turned his eyes to me and what I saw there killed me. Hurt and betrayal coated his green eyes. I also thought I saw a hint of the look he used to give me.

"Why don't you go back to your boyfriend and let him clean you up." August mumbled bitterly.

"Alfie's not my..." I trailed off as my eyes grew wide with understanding. "You're jealous!" I grinned.

August stumbled back a step in shock. His eyes looked at everything but me as he stumbled over a reply. "What? No. I have no idea what you're talking about. Why would I be jealous of you?"

I smirked and shrugged. "Beats me. Why would you be jealous, August?" I took a step toward him. The uncertainty in his eyes gave me a slight pause. "Is it because maybe you don't think you could compete with someone as ruggedly handsome and epic as Alfie." I mocked.

"Are you kidding me?" August blurted. "I could beat that kid in anything!"

"You sure about that? For a minute there it looked like you were jealous of him." I taunted. "Now why would that be?"

"It obviously has nothing to do with the fact that he was just hanging all over you." August grumbled.

"Ha! So you are jealous!" I reached out and poked him triumphantly in the chest. "My brilliant mind strikes again!"

"Don't poke me." August said bitterly. Rubbing the spot I had poked.

"Oh you poor baby. Did I hurt you?" I mocked with a large grin plastered to my face. I reached out and poked him again.

"Don't do that!" August whined.

I just smirked and poked him again. Before I could pull my hand away though, he reached up and grabbed my wrist.

"I said not to do that." August said in a low voice, though I could see the spark back in his eyes.

"Yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?" I questioned with a smirk.

Before I knew what was happening, August had tackled me to the ground. As we fell though, he turned our bodies so he took the brunt of the fall. I let out a squeal and the next thing I knew, he had me pinned to the ground.

"Take it back." He laughed.

"Never!" I cried.

His fingers ran across my sides in a merciless tickle attack. I noticed he was careful to avoid the wounds however and I was grateful for that.

"I said take it back!"

"No!" I managed to spit out in between giggles.

When he finally relinquished the tickling, I sucked in the precious air in dramatic gasps. "You do know tickling is actually a form of torture, right?"

He shrugged. "Sue me."

"I might just do that." I laughed as August helped me back into a sitting position.

It got quiet then. Neither of us said a word for a while. Eventually, I spoke up. "He really isn't my boyfriend you know. He's more of a brother to me." August didn't say anything in response. I let out a sigh before struggling to my feet. "I'll meet you back at camp." I told him before limping back off in the direction of the fire.

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**Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time! **


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: hey lovelies! I'm actually really excited for this chapter and the added character! :) I've had many requests for the backstory on Isis' family so I will be putting it in. Don't you worry! It may just come in bits and pieces scattered throughout the chapters because where's the fun in just telling the whole story outright? ;)**

**Taryn's POV**

Mosquitos have never been my favorite part of nature. All they do is fly around sucking people's blood and spreading disease. Now, turn that into a hundred pound sucking machine and you've got a nightmare.

It was only a few days since I'd talked with Echo. She had said something about having more surprises in store for us. Needless to say, I was a little worried about that. The past few days I'd been jumpy and overly cautious. Both August and Alfie (when he was there) noticed. I always just shrugged it off, not wanting to add to their worries as well. There was nothing we could do about the impending dangers except worry, so why bother adding that to their plates?

So when that danger hit, I almost lost it. Alfie had left for a little bit to keep Echo off his back. August had ventured out to find us some more firewood. We were still on the beach. Occasionally the tree line would appear, allowing us some berries and smaller animals to eat. But it would disappear randomly so we never ventured in there for long in case we were to get trapped inside when it disappeared.

That meant that I was on my own. I was finally able to move around and do something's on my own but if it came down to it, I wasn't sure if I could do much to defend myself.

The buzzing was the first clue that something wasn't right. It sounded like a boat motor slowly approaching. Frowning, I got to my feet and looked around. I couldn't see anything, but I could definitely hear it.

I looked to where August had ventured off, but I couldn't see him anywhere. I was on my own. My heart started racing and my hands were shaking. What the heck was coming?

My question was answered moments later when the tree line reappeared and a giant mosquito emerged. The thing was huge! It was bigger than I was, and it's compound eyes were trained on me.

"Isn't he cute?" Echo's voice sounded from behind me.

"Yeah." I replied sarcastically, my eyes still glued to the giant bug. "Adorable. Why do you have a giant pet mosquito?"

"Well, I was thinking. Mosquitos are unique animals. Despite their tiny statures, they can be quite deadly. So I thought, what if I had one large mosquito? Just think of what it could do!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "So Daryl was born!"

"Daryl? Really?" I raised an eyebrow, turning to face the woman.

She shrugged. "It was all I could come up with at the time."

I shrugged. "I guess it's better than Isis and her giant squirrel."

Echo nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty pathetic."

"You're telling me. And then the thing didn't even cooperate. It was pretty sad actually." I turned back to the giant mosquito. "At least yours could be lethal."

"Could be?" Echo scoffed. "It is lethal! Completely lethal! One bite from Daryl and you'll be dead."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I just can't take him seriously with a name like Daryl."

Echo sighed. "You're right. I should probably change that."

"Probably." I agreed.

"I'll work on that later. Right now I think it's time for you to run for your life." Echo grinned and the mosquito attacked.

* * *

I don't know about you, but I don't find running for my life to be an enjoyable pastime. Especially when you're running from a mosquito-saurus. I want even sure how I was running. I was barely able to walk, let alone run.

I'd heard stories of mothers doing incredible things like lifting cars when a child would get trapped underneath. Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline they got when something tragic was happening. Who knows. Whatever it was, it was the same thing I was experiencing. I shouldn't have had the strength to run like I was. I knew that afterwards, I was going to regret this, but at the moment, all I could think about was staying alive and as far away from that thing as humanly possible.

I looked back to find the monster mosquito gaining on me. _Great _I thought. _This is just perfect. I've always wanted to go out fighting a giant mosquito._

Before I could turn my head back around, I collided with another body. I let out a groan as my own body hit the ground. I quickly pushed myself back up, doing my best to ignore the pain.

"Taryn?" August's confused voice sounded from behind me. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Running for my life." I replied simply with a shrug. "I suggest you do the same."

Just then, the mosquito came into view, flying over the sand dunes. It's large eyes found me with ease and it stared advancing again.

"What is that thing?" August asked, frozen in shock.

"That's Daryl and he'll eat your brains if we don't get out of here!" I replied, grabbing August's hand pulling him with me.

"What's the plan here?" August panted as he ran along beside me.

"I have no idea!"

"What?" August shouted over the loud buzzing. "What do you mean you don't have a plan? Were you planning on running forever?"

I shook my head. "I never have a plan! Get used to it!" I shot back. "I usually just wing it!"

"You're planning on winging it? Are you crazy?" August cried.

"Yes! Yes I am!"

Behind us, the buzzing continued to grow louder. It wouldn't be long before it caught us. We'd never be able to outrun it.

"Seriously, what's the plan." August gasped out.

I didn't have the breath to answer. My eyes frantically searched for anything that might be of some use. Nothing was jumping out at me. Why did we have to be stuck on a freakin' deserted beach? We couldn't have gotten stuck inside a rainforest or something? At least there we could have hidden easier.

August sighed. "There really isn't a plan. Is there?"

I gave him an apologetic look.

August frowned. "You're so pale. Taryn are you alright?"

"Really?" I gasped.

"Right. Dumb question." His eyes scanned the beach. "There! Head for the cave!"

I looked to where he was pointing. I swear it hadn't been there a second ago. But there sat a small cave. Just deep enough to conceal us, but small enough to keep out the pests that seemed to have invaded the area.

August was now dragging me along behind him. My vision was starting to tunnel and I was having a hard time breathing. I couldn't keep this up much longer.

"Just a little further." August urged. "Stay with me, Taryn." I must have looked pretty bad because August's wide eyes were filled with fear.

I stumbled once. Twice. Before falling on my face. My whole body was numb and yet at the same time it felt as if a thousand little needles were poking my skin. I could barely see and everything just sounded like a garbled mess.

Distantly, I heard someone shout my name. I looked up and three Augusts were looking down at me in horror. In sync, all three of them shot their heads up and shouted something else but I couldn't make it out.

Slowly, my eyes started closing. I fought to stay awake, but the blackness was stronger than I was. It pulled me in and I blacked out.

* * *

**August's POV**

August stood there frozen. He'd just watched Taryn pass out. The beast was still racing toward them and it sounded like Alfie was back. He'd heard Alfie call Taryn's name right as she blacked out.

He stood there frozen like an idiot, looking between Taryn and the giant bug. He should be doing something like grabbing Taryn and running for the hills. But he couldn't get himself to move. No matter how much he tried, his body just wouldn't listen to him.

Alfie suddenly appeared in front of him. "What are you doing?" He shouted at August. "You can't just stand here!"

"Don't you think I know that?" August bit back. He concentrated as hard as he could and gave it all he had, but moving was impossible.

"Then move!" Alfie shouted, throwing a frantic glance behind him at the fast approaching bug.

"I would if I could!" August shouted back in frustration.

Alfie frowned in confusion before his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh man! This isn't good. This isn't good! Echo's doing this. There's no way to stop it. We're all going to die!"

"Alfie! Shut up!" August shouted. Bringing Alfie's attention back to him. "We aren't going to die. Get Taryn out of here. Bring her as far into that cave as possible. I'll try to figure something out here. If I'm not there in five minutes, don't come looking. I can't have you die too. Taryn can't be on her own right now."

Alfie shook his head. "You must be insane if you think I'm not coming back for you." Alfie hurried on before August could protest. "Taryn would kill me and never speak to me again if anything were to happen to you. Believe me. I think I have a better chance of survival facing that thing then an angry Taryn."

August sighed. "Just hurry up already. The bugs almost here."

"Right." Alfie nodded. He quickly ran over and clumsily lifted Taryn into his arms. He was clearly struggling and August wished desperately that he could be in Alfie's place.

"Be right back." Alfie promised before hurting off toward the cave.

August turned his attention back to the giant, approaching mosquito. The thing was disgusting. It's large compound eyes were enough to give August the chills. Toss in the six hairy legs, and the piercing, needle-like, blood-sucking thing and it was downright terrifying.

"You've certainly gotten yourself into quite the pickle, haven't you?" A mocking voice sounded from behind him.

August frowned in confusion. He didn't recognize the voice and he couldn't move to find out who it was either.

"Who's there?" He demanded. Doing his best to sound intimidating even though he was shaking in his boots.

The voice chuckled. It was definitely female, but her voice was deeper than Taryn's. She could sound intimidating without even trying. It somehow seemed familiar to him, though he couldn't figure out how.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She sighed. "To bad you can't turn around to find out."

August groaned. "Look. I'm kind of in a hurry here. If you're going to help, great. If not, could you just leave me alone for a second? I need to find a way out of this."

"Alright, fine. Sheesh, someone's bossy." The girl replied.

"Do you have any idea how to unfreeze me?" August asked desperately. He kept a close eye on the fast approaching bug. They had maybe a few minutes before it caught them.

August could hear the girl behind him, pacing, but she never showed her face to him. She made a few humming noises as she thought the problem through.

"Really, this whole thing is just mind-set." She finally said.

"What?" August blurted. "That doesn't make any sense. Could you please speak English?" They didn't have much time and this is what the girl gave him? Really?

"What I'm saying is, Isis is controlling you with her mind. It's very different from using magic. She can hold you in place there, but if you were to say, get knocked over, the spell would be lost."

"Great! So push me over!" August said quickly. "We're running out of time."

"August! I'm back, I - Who are you?" Alfie's confused voice sounded from behind August. "You know she kind of looks like -"

"There's no time for that right now!" August interrupted. "We can have introductions later."

The girl sighed. "Is he always this bossy?"

"We are kind of in a hurry." Alfie pointed out.

The girl sighed again. "You know what, whatever. Just help me give him a good push."

"What?" Alfie asked, shocked.

"Just do it." The girl replied impatiently.

August felt two sets of hands press against his back. The girl counted down from three and then they both pushed hard.

Nothing happened.

"Oh come on, I can't be that heavy!" August sighed desperately.

"It's just Echo. She's making this harder for us. Come on, Blondie. You've got to put your back into it!" The girl encouraged.

August suddenly felt two bodies slam into him. It jostled him a little, but he was still frozen in place. Alfie was sprawled out before him and he could just catch the glimpse of short, dark brown hair out of the corner of his eye.

"One more time ought to do it." The girl said, jumping to her feet and disappearing entirely from his view again.

Alfie groaned and got to his feet. "I hope you're right. I don't think I can do much more of this."

"Wimp." The girl muttered back.

"Could we speed this up a little bit?" August questioned. "That thing is getting closer!"

"Do you think I'm blind?" The girl responded bitterly. "We're working on it. Come on, Blondie. Let's do this."

The buzzing was so loud now, it hurt August's ears. They only had a few seconds before the mosquito would be on top of them. August squeezed his eyes closed, preparing for the blow. It would either come from in front or behind him. Personally, he was hoping for the latter.

All of a sudden, August felt himself being pushed to the ground. With a gasp, he bolted into a seated position. His head hit something thin and hairy when he did. Looking up, August's heart nearly stopped. The mosquito was directly above him. The wind from the beating wings was like that of a helicopter.

"Hey, Genius! Get out of there!" The girl's sharp voice cut through the noise easily.

August jumped to his feet and ducked under the belly of the beast. On the other side, the girl and Alfie were waiting.

"Come on, let's go!" The girl urged. She was really starting to get on August's nerves. Her dark blue eyes were piercing and she looked even more intimidating than she sounded, dressed in all black leather.

"Shut up and run!" August shouted back.

He grabbed Alfie's arm as he ran past. The girl stayed on his heels.

"We just have to get to the cave!" Alfie shouted.

Just off to their left, the bug slammed its sharp, piercing thing into the ground. Just barely missing them.

"That was close." August panted.

"Too close!" The girl agreed.

"We're almost there!" Alfie shouted.

"We aren't there yet." The girl bit back.

"Quit being such a downer." August reprimanded.

As if on cue, August found himself face-first in the dirt. Again. Alfie shouted his name and August turned around just in time to see the mosquito coming in for another blow. Everything seemed to slow down. Alfie screamed and threw his hands over his eyes. The girl just stood and glared at the stupid bug. August was out of options.

The bug landed with an earth shaking thud. It's large compound eyes met August's. It seemed to taunt him as it slowly lowered it's sucker.

"I'm sorry, Taryn." August whispered as he prepared for the blow.

The blow never came. Before his eyes, the bug disappeared in a blast of yellow sparks. For a second, August just stared at where the bug used to be in shock.

"What in the world just happened?" Alfie finally voiced.

"I don't know. It must have been . . . you." August turned to find the girl had disappeared as well. "Where is she?"

Alfie shrugged. "She was here a second ago."

"Whats going on here?" August mumbled while getting to his feet.

Alfie shook his head. "That was so weird."

August took one last look around for any sight of the girl before shaking his head and going into the cave. As much as he wanted to figure out what the heck was going on, Taryn's health was more important.

* * *

**Anisha's POV**

"You never told me that _he_ was the target!" Anisha growled, her short, dark brown hair falling into her face.

"I didn't think it mattered." Echo replied with a smirk. "Besides. It's not just him."

"You didn't think it mattered? Are you kidding me?" Anisha bit back. "You can't throw something like that at me and then say that you didn't think it mattered!" Anisha's blood was boiling as she glowered at the woman before her.

"This won't compromise the mission will it?" Echo questioned, her tone turning dangerous.

Anisha rolled her eyes. "Why would it?"

"You did destroy my precious Daryl. Why didn't you let him kill August? That would have been one problem taken care of." Echo pointed out.

Anisha knew what Echo was trying to do and it wouldn't work. Her face remained void of emotion as she replied, "I was in shock." She shrugged. "Like I said, you can't throw something like that in my face and then expect me not to react. I haven't seen August in nearly seventeen years. He was two and a half when you sent me packing."

"I remember it well enough. There's no need for you to recount it. If you want to live in your memories, go talk with Isis." Echo said bitterly. "As long as it doesn't compromise the mission, you should be fine."

"Are you threatening me?" Anisha took a step toward Echo with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think I need to remind you just what I'm capable of."

Echo frowned. "No. You don't."

"Good. Remember that, the next time you go to threaten me." Anisha smirked at the look of disgust on Echo's face. "You may think you're in charge here, but I could take you out with just a flick of my wrist. Now, I'll go back in there. Just don't think you can control me in anyway." With that, Anisha blinked herself away, leaving Echo scowling alone in the dark room.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is pretty short. Had a crazy week!**

**Alfie's POV**

"Alfie!" Dixie's confused voice rang out through the dark room. "What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be back until tomorrow." She closed the large book with a loud thud.

"We have a problem." Alfie said, pacing the room while wringing his hands together. They were back in Isis' old study. The same one they had broken into trying to find a way to save Taryn the first time.

"What is it?" Dixie questioined, frowning. "Alfie what's the matter?"

"There's someone new in there."

"What?" Dixie exclaimed. "Who?"

Alfie shrugged. "I have no idea. I've never seen her before in my life. She looks kind of familiar though."

"How so?"

"I don't know." Alfie frowned. "At first I thought she kind of looked like Isis, but the more I looked at her, the more she looked like August." He shook his head. "It was weird."

Dixie frowned in concern. "And you left her in there with them, alone? Are you insane?" She shouted, jumping to her feet.

Alfie jumped back in surprise and shook his head frantically. "I'm not that dumb!" He replied quickly. "The girl had left before I did. I don't know where she went. It's like she just vanished into thin air."

"That's not good. That means that she could still be there. Remember Isis? She used to do that all the time inside the curse." Dixie reminded. "For all we know, she could be there right now. She was just waiting for the right time to strike!"

"And do what, exactly?" Alfie questioned with raised eyebrows. "They're already trapped. Taryn's on the verge of dying, and August still doesn't have his memory." He listed off on his fingers. "What more could they do to them?"

"Don't ask that question." Dixie warned. "We don't need it answered."

Alfie sighed. "You're right."

"You mentioned Taryn. How bad is she?" Dixie asked cautiously.

Alfie turned away from the ex-fairy and ran a worried hand over his face. "Not good. It's like she can't get better. Like something is keeping her from healing. It's scaring me. And August is going out of his mind with worry for her." He sighed deeply. "I guess I should get back there and make sure they're all okay. I want to see if Taryn has woken up yet."

Dixie nodded. "Alright. Keep me posted."

With a nod of understanding, Alfie disappeared.

* * *

**Taryn's POV**

Terrible images of fire and flying spells kept flashing across my vision. I was standing in the corner of a large room. Four other people were present. Two to my left and two to my right. The room was burning up in hot flames and flashes of green light kept making everything so bright it would blind me for a second.

The two on my left I couldn't make out because of all the smoke. But the two on my right I could just barely see. It was my mom and someone who looked an awful lot like my grandpa.

I tried to get them to stop, but I couldn't move and my voice was drowned out by all the noise. I screamed until my voice was gone and my throat was raw. They were going to kill each other if this didn't stop soon.

"Tragic. Isn't it?" Isis' voice appeared beside me.

I spun to face the woman I'd come to despise so much. "Isis, what happening. What's my mom doing here?"

Isis shrugged. "I suppose I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the truth."

"What are you talking about?" I sighed, still trying to figure out a way to stop the fight.

"You wanted to know why I hate you so much. Well this is why." Isis stated simply.

"Wait, what? I tore my eyes from the scene to stare at Isis blankly. "Why does my dream have anything to do with why you hate me?"

Isis rolled her eyes. "Well maybe if you used your eyes, you might be able to figure that out. I wouldn't bet on it though. You never were the smartest of the bunch."

I frowned. "Shut up, Isis." I mumbled. "Really though, I don't get it. How does this dream have anything to do with me and you?"

"Just watch. You'll figure it out." Isis said with earnest. "Now I have to leave before my sister catches me. She'd kill you if she ever found out I was showing you this."

"Then why are you? Showing me this, I mean." I questioned.

"I have my reasons." Isis flipped her hair once before disappearing from sight.

I forced my eyes back to the scene before me. The fighting continued. Spells continued to fly at my family while Mom and Grandpa threw flames across the room.

Hold the phone. Since when did my family have magic? At first I thought they were using some sort of flame thrower thing, but I quickly realized that the flames were shooting out directly from their fingers. They were magically conjuring up fire and intentionally burning down the room. What in the world was Isis showing me? It could be a trick. None of this could be real but I doubted it. Somehow I knew it was real.

A blood-curdling scream sounded from the unknown side of the room. My mom had hit a target. The spells stopped flying for a brief moment before going crazy again. Through the smoke I caught a glimpse of an incredibly beautiful face. A face I recognized only too well. They were fighting Isis!

Then something happened. Mom and Grandpa both locked hands. The largest fireball I'd ever seen -not that I'd seen many fireballs, but that's beside the point- formed in their conjoined hands. Together they blasted it across the room.

Two screams erupted from the other side of the room. The tortured sound bounced off the walls of the now silent room. I cringed at the sound. It was painful and I ended up falling to my knees, clutching my ears, trying to block it out.

It seemed to last forever, but once it had stopped and the smoke had lifted some, my mom and grandpa slowly padded over to where their opponents had once been.

I couldn't move. All I could do was watch as Mom slowly knelt down next to a heap of black mush that I knew had to be the body. I nearly lost it there. I had to look away as tears sprang to my eyes.

"It's done." Mom's voice cracked as she said it. "Is that all of them?"

Grandpa sighed. "I believe so, Darling."

That's when the sobbing began. "It wasn't supposed to end like this." Mom cried. "I'm not a killer, Dad! How could I have stooped to her levels?"

"You did it for Taryn's best interests. That's all that matters." Grandpa reassured her.

"It just doesn't feel right." Mom sniffed. "Isis, Colton and Echo? What happened to them?"

"I don't think they could have survived the fire. They're gone."

No more words were said. The only sound in the room was that of my mother's sobbing and my own silent tears hitting the floor.


	14. Chapter 13

**sorry this one is so short guys. I just haven't had the time to sit and write. Tbh I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update or how long the chapters will be. At least until summer is over. Hopefully then things will calm down some. **

* * *

**Taryn's POV**

I woke to a splitting headache and a warm breeze on my face. The light was so bright I didn't want to open my eyes. Beneath me, what used to be the cool, soft sand of the beach cave was now hot, rough, and scratchy.

With a groan, I opened my eyes and was immediately blinded by the shining sun beating down on me. My eyes snapped back shut and I rolled over onto my stomach. The sand stuck to my sweaty skin as the air around me had grown insanely hot. I swore it was a thousand degrees out.

Again I tried opening my eyes as I wiped the sand from my face with the back of my hand. This time I did it slowly. Allowing my eyes to adjust. I frowned in confusion and pushed myself up into a seated position. Where the heck was I? I was no longer at the beach. That was for certain. In fact I seemed to be in the exact opposite.

All I could see in any direction was sand. The hot wind caused it to blow up and around my face, making vision limited at times. I also seemed to be alone. Neither August nor Alfie were anywhere to be seen. That in no way helped my nerves.

I scrambled to my feet and did a quick 360. Nothing. In any direction. Though it was difficult to see through the blowing sand. This was worse than running in circles in that stupid field with the stupid cows. At least then I had August.

"Ugh! Why do you hate me so much?" I shouted at the sky.

All I got in response was a chuckle. So she was watching. Perfect. That would explain Alfie's absence.

"Laugh it up Echo. Enjoy this while you can because once I get a hold of you..." I let the thought hang in the air.

Begrudgingly, I started forward, in no particular direction. I just closed my eyes against the wind and walked.

* * *

**August's POV**

August didn't remember how he had gotten there. One minute he was on his way to check on Taryn, and the next he was in some dark, damp cave. He'd barely even blinked! What was happening? And where was Taryn? She didn't seem to be with him. Not that that he could see anyway. August was alone as far as he could tell.

He seemed to be in some kind of barren desert. The complete opposite of where he had come from. There was no sign of anything for as far as he could see.

The temperature must have been about a hundred degrees or more. August was working up a sweat and all he was doing was standing there. There was absolutely no wind. Just the scalding sun beating down on him and nowhere for him to escape it.

With a groan of frustration, August picked a random direction and started walking. It was a little disorienting because everything looked the same. So August simply closed his eyes, since he knew there was nothing to run into, and placed one foot in front of the other.

* * *

**Taryn's POV**

I was so sick of the sun. I was sick of the scratchy sand that clung to my skin and I was sick of the heat. Basically, I wasn't happy. But can you blame me?

I was exhausted, my throat felt like the Sahara desert and my feet hurt. I think I was starting to see things too. It had been several hours since I'd landed in this death hole and I was desperate for water and some company. But mostly water.

Every five minutes I saw another pool of water. But every time I went to take a drink or jump in, I would be met by a mouthful of sand. Eventually I just stopped trying. As soon as I would get close enough, it would disappear anyway. What was the point?

What was the word for that again? Dehydrated sycopath? Deranged, waterless beast? Oh yeah. Mirage. I hate mirages.

It only got worse though when I started having the August mirages. The first time it happened I believed it really was him. I ran to meet him with open arms and was met with a cactus. Are there even supposed to be cactuses in the desert? Echo was just playing with me.

The next few times happened the same way. I eventually gave up on those too and avoided the mirages because I knew it would only end in pain.

* * *

**August's POV**

All August could think about was finding some water. The sun was so hot and his throat was so dry he wasn't sure he'd live to find a way out of there. Mirages of beautiful oasis kept appearing. He fell for the illusion the first few times but a face full of dirt taught him his lesson pretty quickly.

He was also starting to have strange visions. Scenes that seemed to play out before him like he was watching a projection. None of them made any sense but at the same time they felt important.

One, for instance, was a scene in which he and Taryn were sitting underneath a large tree together. Neither of them looked happy to be there.

There was no sound to the visions which made it frustrating to August. How was he supposed to figure out what was so important about these visions if he couldn't hear anything?

They just seemed to be sitting there. If he could hear them maybe it would be different but this was the most boring vision in the history of visions. With a groan, August did a quick 360. There wasn't much. Just more sand and more sand. The only place there wasn't was in the vision playing out before him.

August looked back over to the scene to find Taryn and himself fighting over what looked like his iPod. Frowning, August took a step closer to get a better look.

Before he knew what was happening, August found himself being pulled into the hazy screen. With a yelp, August swung himself around and tried grasping at the sand but of course that didn't help. Within seconds he had been pulled through and he was left helpless to stop it.


End file.
